The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Health and Human Services have announced an extension of the comment period for the Request for Information on Consolidation in Health Care Markets (RFI) by 30 days. The new deadline for submitting comments is now June 5.
According to the announcement, the extension aims to gather more insights into how health care mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions could potentially impact competition in the industry. The agencies are particularly interested in understanding how such activities might affect patients’ health, workers’ safety, quality of care, and affordability.
"The RFI requests public comment on transactions by health systems, private payers, private equity funds and other alternative asset managers," said the agencies. They are seeking information on a wide range of transactions in the health care sector, including those that involve both direct and indirect providers, services, or products. Additionally, the RFI is looking for feedback on health care transactions that fall below the threshold for mandatory submission to the Justice Department or FTC for review.
Individuals and organizations interested in providing input can do so by submitting comments on Regulations.gov. All comments received will be made publicly available on the same platform. The initial deadline for comments was set to expire on May 6, but has now been extended to allow for more comprehensive feedback collection.
The extension of the comment period underscores the importance that the Justice Department, FTC, and HHS place on understanding the potential implications of corporate ownership trends in the health care sector. This move reflects a commitment to ensuring transparency and openness in the regulatory process surrounding health care mergers and acquisitions.