Treasurer Briner "Proposed Merger of Atrium and WakeMed Concerning for North Carolinians"

 Treasurer Brad Briner released a statement today in response to a just released Wake County Commission agenda item indicating Atrium Health and WakeMed plan to merge:

“There is a simple business principle that when suppliers consolidate and competition is reduced it is the consumers who suffer. This has been proven to be true time and again in the health care landscape, where prices continue to rise and patients are left with mounting medical debt. I look forward to the Attorney General and FTC carefully scrutinizing this proposal and what it could mean for the people across our state. If history is any guide, this merger will not benefit the public.”