Marcelle Crago, Asheville nurse and lactation consultantThe American Hospital Association has argued that hospital mergers can improve quality and reduce health care costs by creating “a fiscally sustainable environment.” But until the recent federal disclosure rule, the effect of health care monopolies on pricing was often overlooked or harder to detect. Asheville’s Dominant HospitalFew places in the United States better exemplify how hospital mergers reshape health care than Asheville. Marcelle Crago, a nurse and lactation consultant, is one of many patients who have accused Mission Health, which operates Mission Hospital, of gouging consumers. (The Dogwood Health Trust, a nonprofit established as part of HCA’s purchase of Mission Health, helps fund KFF Health News’ coverage.)