What Xavier Becerra’s nomination as HHS Secretary could mean for employer-purchasers
During the economic recovery, we need competitive health care markets as a counterweight against health care price inflation. With the economy struggling, employers and other health care purchasers have less money than ever to spend on health care and need every tool at their disposal to keep expenses under control. Employers across the country will be watching to see if the Sutter case will serve as a warning to other dominant providers, or if anticompetitive behavior will be given a COVID hall pass. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra’s understanding of these dynamics will inevitably shape his work on health care delivery and payment reforms, policies regarding transparency of price and quality information, and much more.