Evans Welcomes Ruling in Favor of Einstein-Jefferson Merger, Says It Fits His ‘No More Hahnemanns!’ Effort
Urges FTC, Pa. A.G. not to appeal, let fed. & state lawmakers address health-care costs
WASHINGTON (Dec. 8, 2020) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3rd) welcomed a court ruling in favor of the proposed merger of Jefferson Health and Albert Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia and the region. Evans continues to voice his strong support for the merger.
"I'm extremely pleased that the federal judge rejected the Federal Trade Commission and state attorney general's shortsighted attempts to block the merger. I hope that neither of them will appeal the ruling and instead clear the way for these hospitals to provide enhanced stability and access to high-quality care for the residents of North Philadelphia for the foreseeable future. This merger would help the hospitals to stay open, and the pandemic has underlined how vital they are to our communities," Evans said.
"This should not continue to be addressed in the courts. Issues of rising costs should be addressed through Congress and the state legislatures, as should solutions to maintain the viability of safety-net hospitals. As a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, I have been leading an ongoing, bipartisan ‘No More Hahnemanns!' effort to seek these types of solutions. Hahnemann University Hospital's 2019 closing was the 10th hospital closing in Philadelphia in 20 years, and this problem has affected large cities as well as small towns and rural areas of Pennsylvania.
"Einstein and Jefferson are historically linked academic medical centers that would work even better together to improve the lives of their patients and the communities they serve. They should not be forced to spend more time or money litigating a merger that the court agreed would benefit the communities they serve – and the FTC and state attorney general's office should stop spending tax dollars to get in the way of this public-spirited merger.
"The pandemic has shone a bright spotlight on the wide health disparities among the communities served by these Philadelphia-based hospital systems, and I will continue working with them as trusted partners to address those disparities in our diverse city and region."
Evans represents Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. He serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees Medicare and much of the U.S. health-care system.
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