ACA Drove For‑Profit Psych Expansion

As mental‑health coverage expanded under the Affordable Care Act and parity rules, for‑profit firms rapidly moved into inpatient psychiatry. Their share of beds rose from about 13% (2010) to over 40% (2021) without an overall increase in bed count, while quality concerns and EMTALA violations concentrated among these chains. — It suggests coverage expansion without robust governance can fuel profit‑seeking growth that undermines emergency access, pointing policy toward enforcement reform alongside benefits.