3-hospital takeover by Partners OK'd

A court-appointed monitor will closely watch Partners HealthCare System's actions for the next decade as part of a settlement announced Monday between Attorney General Martha Coakley and the state's largest health care company. The preliminary agreement resolves a three-year investigation into allegedly anticompetitive behavior by Partners, over which Coakley made clear she was prepared to sue the organization. It allows Partners to complete its long-planned acquisition of three community hospitals in Eastern Massachusetts, in return for accepting limits on expansion and prices for the next five to 10 years. Coakley told reporters that although Partners is world-renowned for its quality medical care, its high prices have burdened families and businesses, drained taxpayers, and hurt community hospitals.