The state and Hartford HeathCare have reached an agreement they say will limit cost increases and protect physician independence as the health system acquires two community hospitals from bankrupt Prospect Medical.
The agreement, announced Monday afternoon by state Attorney General William Tong, clears the state’s antitrust review of Hartford HealthCare’s planned purchase of Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital.
The process is required under Connecticut’s “notice of material change” law. The statute mandates review of certain hospital and physician transactions to guard against anticompetitive effects and protect access to affordable, high-quality care.
Under the agreement, Hartford HealthCare, the state’s second largest health system, accepted a series of conditions intended to blunt potential market power concerns following the acquisition.
Manchester Memorial and Rockville General are generally lower-cost hospitals than others in Hartford HealthCare’s system; the deal limits the reimbursement increases Hartford HealthCare can impose at those facilities for two years.
The agreement also addresses physician mobility. Noncompete clauses in physician contracts will be waived, allowing doctors to move to other jobs within 90 days if they choose. Physicians who leave for other hospital systems or practices will be permitted to retain privileges at Manchester and Rockville, among other safeguards intended to preserve professional freedom and patient choice.
Tong said the conditions strike a balance between stabilizing struggling hospitals and protecting the public interest.
“I believe this transaction will be a net positive for Connecticut, for patients and for providers,” Tong said in a statement. “But healthcare consolidation is concerning, for its potential to raise costs and reduce choice. This agreement seeks to balance the need for stable, new ownership while ensuring that costs remain affordable and physician careers are protected.”
The antitrust review is separate from oversight by the state Office of Health Strategy (OHS), which approved the transaction on Dec. 10 with additional conditions. Those include requiring Hartford HealthCare to submit an initial assessment and integration plan within nine months, engage the community in strategic planning and maintain current services — including labor and delivery, intensive care and a 24/7 emergency department in Vernon — for at least three years.
The conditions also require preservation of inpatient behavioral health services at or within 30 miles of the Rockville General campus in Vernon.
Prospect Medical acquired three nonprofit Connecticut hospitals in 2016, promising investment and quality improvements. Tong has sharply criticized the California-based company, accusing it of mismanagement and harm to the state’s healthcare system.
His office is actively involved in Prospect’s federal bankruptcy case and has filed claims alleging multiple legal violations to hold the company accountable.
