Healthcare, Quality Concerns and Competition Law: A Systematic Approach

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Description

Market driven healthcare is massively divisive. Opponents argue that a competition approach to medical treatment negatively impacts on quality, while advocates point to increased efficiencies. This book casts a critical eye over both positions to show that the concerns over quality are in fact real. Taking a two part approach, it unveils the fault lines along which healthcare provision and the pursuit of quality would in certain cases clash. It then shows how competition authorities can only effectively assess competition concerns when they ask the fundamental question of how the concept of healthcare quality should be defined and factored into their decisions. Drawing on UK, US and EU examples, it explores antitrust and merger cases in hospital, medical and health insurance markets to give an accurate depiction of the reality and challenges of regulating competition in healthcare provision.

Reviews

Professor Stavroulakis book is sophisticated and well done This interdisciplinary and comparative perspective is important in analysing to what extent the UK and EU should follow the US approach, as all three jurisdictions seek to inject more market competition into their existing healthcare systems. -- Spencer Weber Waller, Loyola University Chicago School of Law * World Competition *
A timely and relevant book contemplating the (correct) application of competition law when it comes to healthcare. -- Christian Bergqvist, University of Copenhagen * European Competition Law Review *

Author Bio

Theodosia Stavroulaki is Assistant Professor of Law at Gonzaga University School of Law, USA.