Independent, locally owned practice

Who it answers to: Strong. FTC Chair Lina Khan's June 2022 statement on a veterinary merger cites a 2021 trade-press estimate that 'frenetic merger activity among veterinary hospitals in 2021 has lifted the market share of corporate consolidators in the United States to close to 50% of all companion animal practice revenue,' meaning independent practices still accounted for roughly the other half; the same statement warns that private equity ownership in health care 'can incentivize practices that may reduce quality of care, increase costs for patients and payors.' An independent practice is owned directly by the treating veterinarian rather than a management company. source↗ 2026