Hospital superpowers face intensifying pressure from retailers like Amazon, CVS and Walmart. : For decades, research studies and news stories have concluded the American system is ineffective, too expensive and falling further behind its international peers in important measures of performance: life expectancy, chronic-disease management and incidence of medical error. As patients and healthcare professionals search for viable alternatives to the status quo, a recent mega-merger is raising new questions about the future of medicine. In April, Kaiser Permanente acquired Geisinger Health under the banner of newly formed Risant Health.