Hospital executives announced last week that the state’s largest hospital system, Carolinas Healthcare, would combine with UNC Health. They called the nearly $14 billion move “a marriage, not a merger.”
Hospital leadership claim the decision will better position them to serve patients, especially in rural areas. But the giant union raises questions about the system’s ability to negotiate prices from insurance companies – costs that would likely be passed along to patients.
Host Frank Stasio talks with WUNC data reporter Jason Debruyn about plans for the healthcare giants, and what they mean for North Carolina patients.