Mass. judge rejects deal for Partners’ acquisitions

BOSTON – Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet L. Sanders rejected a controversial deal that would have allowed Partners HealthCare to acquire three community hospitals and add hundreds of doctors to its network, The Boston Globe reported.
Sanders sided with opponents, who argued that allowing Partners to expand would give the health system, already the state’s largest and most expensive, the market power to further increase costs.
The deal was the result of a consent judgment negotiated by the company and former Attorney General Martha Coakley. Sanders said in her decision that the deal did not provide “sufficient protections” to keep Partners’ market power in check, the Globe said in the Jan. 30 report.
Three years ago, Partners began pursuing a merger with the 378-bed South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. Partners later disclosed plans to take over Hallmark Health System, which has a 234-bed hospital in Melrose and a 134-bed hospital in Medford. Partners argued that a bigger network would allow it to deliver better care more efficiently, the Globe said.
On its website, the newspaper described the decision as a “devastating blow to Partners HealthCare’s plans to expand its dominance” across the state. Partners could further pursue the acquisitions, however it would likely face litigation from current Attorney General Maura Healey, an opponent of the moves. •

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