Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has begun an investigation into the charges that Partners Healthcare and Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield acted in collusion back in 2000, in a plan to deliberately cause health insurance rates to rise in the state. A Boston Globe investigative team originally reported on the case a few weeks ago.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts agreed to pay more money to Partners Healthcare to cover the health care of their policyholders. For the additional money, Partners agreed to seek comparable rate hikes from other insurance companies, thus driving up the consumers insurance rates. The Boston Globe reported that BCBS initially balked at the amount, and only after Partners committed to requesting the same rates from other insurers, did BCBS finally agree to the deal.
The Boston Globe Spotlight investigative team reported that BCBS continues to this day to pay an estimated 30% more to Partners Healthcare hospitals than it pays to other hospitals. Nine years after the scheme began, the state's largest insurance carrier is paying an estimated $2 billion annually to the state's largest health care provider.
Much of the money that is being paid to Partners Healthcare comes directly out of the pockets of the Massachusetts policyholders, unfortunately. By undertaking such an important investigation, the state attorney general is fulfilling an important role, through this examination of power abuse between major insurance providers and health care providers.
Partners Healthcare operates as a teaching affiliate to Harvard Medical School, and are the largest health care provider in the state. They own and operate Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Brigham and Womens Hospital. - 15275
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts agreed to pay more money to Partners Healthcare to cover the health care of their policyholders. For the additional money, Partners agreed to seek comparable rate hikes from other insurance companies, thus driving up the consumers insurance rates. The Boston Globe reported that BCBS initially balked at the amount, and only after Partners committed to requesting the same rates from other insurers, did BCBS finally agree to the deal.
The Boston Globe Spotlight investigative team reported that BCBS continues to this day to pay an estimated 30% more to Partners Healthcare hospitals than it pays to other hospitals. Nine years after the scheme began, the state's largest insurance carrier is paying an estimated $2 billion annually to the state's largest health care provider.
Much of the money that is being paid to Partners Healthcare comes directly out of the pockets of the Massachusetts policyholders, unfortunately. By undertaking such an important investigation, the state attorney general is fulfilling an important role, through this examination of power abuse between major insurance providers and health care providers.
Partners Healthcare operates as a teaching affiliate to Harvard Medical School, and are the largest health care provider in the state. They own and operate Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Brigham and Womens Hospital. - 15275
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