Signify Premium Insight: The Possibilities of Private Equity and Independent Practices

The American Antitrust Institute recently released a report examining the effects of private equity ownership of physician practices in the US. The report highlighted the dramatic increase in the number of physician practices that are owned by PE firms, with a six-fold increase in the number of acquisitions in the 10 years from 2012 to 2021.

Resultantly PE firms are amassing high market shares in many local physician practice markets, with a single PE firm claiming more than 30% market share in 28% of statistical areas. While the Monetizing Medicine report raises many issues pertinent to patients such as the increasing costs associated with PE-owned practices, there are also considerations for imaging vendors, for whom the increased PE ownership could be a significant risk, or a sizable opportunity.