Massachusetts Eye and Ear is already physically smushed into Mass. General. Today, it's announcing plans to merge into the holding company that runs Mass. General and Brigham and Women's hospitals.
Mass. Eye and Ear will keep its name and its own executives, board of directors, doctors and staff. The deal will require approval of state and federal regulators.
The Globe reports a Suffolk Superior Court judge yesterday rejected the mega-hospital holding company's plans to buy three hospitals in the Boston area as anti-competitive.
Paul Levy, former CEO at Beth Israel Hospital, explains why Partners has stolen more from Massachusetts residents than the value of all the stolen Gardner paintings.
Paul Levy, who used to battle the Mass. General/Brigham and Women's conglomeration when he was in charge at Beth Israel, continues the fight and writes that a posting for a vice president's job shows the behemoth shows little signs of slowing down what he says are its efforts to keep running the health-care show around here.
Paul Levy, who complained loudly about Partners Healthcare when he was CEO of Beth Israel, marvels at what he says is the spin on its recently announced contracts with Tufts and Blue Cross, that what the hospital holding company says is a willingness to rein in costs only perpetuates a system in which consumers and employers pay more than they should.
The Globe reports on federal attention to the way the holding company - think Mass. General and Brigham and Women's - dominates the health care market in eastern Massachusetts.
Charley on the MTA recommends the Globe's latest story on our own little health-care cartel, and sums up what this and revelations about local doctors pushing pills while getting paid by the drug companies really means:
... Health care costs, particularly in MA, are not just high because of some vague, unknowable "market forces"; it isn't just that the Health Care Invisible Hand mysteriously keeps us all under its thumb, and gosh golly, after all There's Nothing That Can Be Done.
No, it's simpler than that. We're actively, intentionally, unethically and possibly illegally getting screwed.
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