A proposed merger between Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Lahey Health, and three other health systems received the final state and regulatory hurdles Thursday, November 29, clearing the way for a deal first announced two years ago. Once finalized, the merger will create the state’s second largest healthcare system after Partners HealthCare in size.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said her office would not sue to block the merger to form Beth Israel Lahey Health System, but she would place certain restriction on the deal. The restrictions include what Healey called an “unprecedented” seven-year cap on prices charged by the combine system.
Also on Thursday, the US Federal Trade Commission announced it had decided not to file a lawsuit blocking the merger. In a statement, the agency described the decision to not sue as a “close call.”
