Lawmakers look closely at Steward and private equity in healthcare

Earlier this year, we learned that financial challenges at Steward Healthcare System, a for-profit company, were jeopardizing the company's ability to run its eight current Massachusetts hospitals.

This drew scrutiny from state and federal officials and raised concerns about the role of private equity in the healthcare industry. Over the last couple of weeks, lawmakers, including U.S. Senators for Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, held hearings on Beacon Hill looking into private equity in healthcare and Steward’s financial problems.

WBUR Senior Correspondent Deborah Becker has been following the Steward case since it broke, she joins The Common to catch us up to speed on the latest developments.