Hospital Consolidation: Massachusetts AG Approves Partners Healthcare System's Merger
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Partners HealthCare System is allowed to purchase South Shore Hospital and Hallmark Health Systems according to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. The deal follows a month long antitrust investigation in to Partners. As part of the deal Partners will not raise prices more than the standard rate of inflation, which has been 1%-2% annually over the past decade. This is also a significantly lower rate compared to traditional rates Partners' has negotiated in the past.
Partners is known in the industry for charging above market for their services and Coakley believed that needed to be fixed. She stated "prices have burdened families and businesses, drained taxpayers, and hurt community hospitals," but did point out that Partners provides "world-renowned" quality care.
