Consolidation and Integration in Health Care: What It Means for Patients, Payers, and Policy

Kaiser Family Foundation

News reports across the country trumpet major mergers and consolidation involving health insurers, physician practices, pharmacy benefit managers, hospitals and health systems, and other providers, including many that integrate different services under a single umbrella. The wave of consolidation and integration has federal and state policy makers examining how it affects competition, prices, and overall costs.

On February 18, 2026, three experts joined moderator Larry Levitt for an hour-long “Health Wonk Shop” discussion about health care consolidation and integration. During the event, panelists discussed the motivations behind horizontal and vertical consolidation in health care, its potential to lower or raise costs, the implications for patients and payers, and how policy makers could respond.

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