Coalition opposes MA pact with Partners Health

A coalition of Massachusetts health care providers that compete with Partners HealthCare on Tuesday declared its opposition to a tentative pact allowing Partners to acquire at least three more hospitals, saying the expansion would have "profound and negative effects on the cost of health care" and possibly lead to the "extinction" of some hospitals. Leaders of the group — including executives from Tufts Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Lahey Health, and Atrius Health — outlined their "grave concerns" about a deal struck between state Attorney General Martha Coakley and Partners, the state's largest hospital and physicians network.