One of the most contentious issues in health care today is private equity investment. Over the past two decades, private equity firms have acquired hundreds of U.S. hospitals, leading to concerns about how these ownership structures affect patient care, staffing levels, access to care and long-term stability. Recently, Democratic lawmakers introduced the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act, which would prohibit private equity firms, health insurance companies and other for-profit corporations from owning medical practices, among other things.