When Mark Finney moved to southwestern Virginia with his young family a decade ago, there were different hospital systems and a range of independent doctors to choose from.
But when his knee started aching in late 2020, he discovered that Ballad Health was the only game in town: He went to his longtime primary care doctor, now employed by Ballad, who sent him to an orthopedist’s office that had been purchased by Ballad.
That doctor sent him to get an X-ray at a Ballad-owned facility and then he was referred to a physical therapy center called Mountain States Rehab that was now owned by Ballad as well.
Though none of the interventions took place in an actual hospital, all came with a hospital “facility fee.” When the price of P.T.
“My wife now drives 50 miles to see a doctor that’s not part of Ballad, and I don’t have a doctor anymore.”
Persons:
Mark Finney, “, ”, Finney, that’s
Organizations:
Appalachian
Locations:
Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky