On March 11, 2022, the Federation of American Hospitals sent a letter to the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) to encourage the NAAG state attorneys general to use their authority to investigate concerning and potentially anticompetitive conduct of travel nurse-staffing agencies during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and take appropriate action to protect hospitals and their patients. The letter additionally urges NAAG to urge appropriate federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to investigate reports of such anticompetitive pricing.   
 
The FAH encourages NAAG to focus its membership to investigate whether inflated prices being charged by nurse staffing agencies are the result of anticompetitive activity; whether nurse staffing agencies are violating any consumer protection laws with their practices and if these practices constitute price-gouging; the overall impact of price increases on availability and affordability of health care, particularly for rural and underserved communities. 
 
“As we enter the third year of battling COVID-19, the mental and physical toll in responding to the PHE has put an unprecedented strain on our frontline caregivers and hospital support staff. During this time, our hospitals have continued to face a range of financial and operational pressures, with workforce shortages topping the list of concerns,” reads the letter.   
 
Read the full letter here.