AG deal with Partners Health filed in court: Restricts growth, costs

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley on Tuesday reached an agreement with Partners HealthCare that she says will alter the hospital network's negotiating power for years to come. The deal would resolve an antitrust investigation by the attorney general's office and ultimately allow Partners to acquire South Shore Hospital. "Our office was the first to shine a light on the ability of Partners to charge higher prices based on its negotiating power," Coakley said in a statement. "Today's resolution is the first action of its kind to directly address that market dysfunction." But many in the health care industry say they're frustrated and angry about the process.