Martha Coakley
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) -- Medical groups Atrius Health Inc. and Fallon Clinic Inc. have entered into an assurance of discontinuance and agreed to provide information on future contract terms, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Tuesday.
In April, Atrius and Fallon Clinic announced that they intended to affiliate.
The attorney general explained that the current agreement will address potential antitrust concerns that could impact consumers.
"This agreement with our office to report the details about future contracts and rates will guard against unwarranted price increases," Coakley said in a statement.
"At a time when health care costs are a major concern for individuals and businesses throughout the Commonwealth, my office will continue to examine market affiliations to ensure potential benefits to consumers outweigh potential anticompetitive effects."
Fallon Clinic is a multi-specialty medical group located in central Massachusetts. Atrius is made up of five member groups that provide primary and specialty health care in Eastern Massachusetts.
Atrius and Fallon Clinic, in executing an affiliation agreement, will make Fallon Clinic the sixth member group of Atrius, Coakley's office explained.
Under the assurance of discontinuance filed in Suffolk Superior Court, Atrius and Fallon Clinic must provide contract terms for Fallon Clinic and a financial analysis of the terms 30 days in advance of executing new contracts with the major health insurance companies with whom they do business.
The assurance will last for the lesser of 10 years or the next two contract cycles with those health care insurance companies, the Attorney General's Office said.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by e-mail at jessica@legalnewsline.com.