At a recent virtual public hearing, a Commonwealth Medicine expert presented an analysis of the proposed sale of New Hampshire’s LRGHealthcare to Concord Hospital. The sale would include Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia and Franklin Regional Hospital.
Health law and policy expert Katharine London, MS, led the Commonwealth Medicine team that analyzed and presented the findings. At the public hearing, she stated that insured patients would likely face similar out-of-pocket costs if the sale goes through, while uninsured patients might become eligible for greater discounts. She also said that Concord Hospital received higher state and federal quality of care scores than the two smaller hospitals, indicating that quality of care could improve under Concord’s ownership.
LRGHealthcare filed a voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in October 2020. Concord Hospital was the sole bidder to acquire the assets. The Charitable Trusts Unit of the New Hampshire Department of Justice contracted with Commonwealth Medicine to independently review the proposed transaction. The resulting analysis assessed the sale’s potential impact on the community’s access to quality and affordable physical and mental healthcare services in the central New Hampshire region.