BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is planning to review a proposed deal to let Partners HealthCare acquire Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
Healey's planned review comes at the recommendation of the state's Health Policy Commission, which said the deal could hike medical costs by as much as $61 million a year.
The committee said the added costs could fall on the shoulders of consumers and businesses. The panel is charged with studying hospital mergers but doesn't have the power to block them.
The committee sent its analysis to the Democratic attorney general on Wednesday.
A Partners spokesman said the partnership will strengthen clinical and scientific ties between the two organizations. A spokeswoman for Massachusetts Eye and Ear said the hospital is also eager to move ahead with the deal with Partners.