Boston-based Mass General Brigham's controversial $400 million plan to build three ASCs would lower healthcare prices, according to an independent report by Sean May, PhD, of Charles River Associates.
Mass General Brigham is planning three ASCs in Massachusetts — in Westborough, Westwood and Woburn — that would offer surgery, physician services and diagnostic imaging.
The report says healthcare spending for patients would drop if they switch from higher-priced hospitals to the Mass General ASCs. The slated changes are "modest and unlikely to meaningfully change the system's bargaining leverage with health insurers," the report said.
The analysis is contrary to the report released by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Nov. 17. According to the report, the plan would raise healthcare costs and create roughly $385 million in profits a year for the hospital.
The Coalition to Protect Community Care, which represents groups opposing the project, argued that the report doesn't show how the plan will hurt other healthcare providers in the area, The Boston Globe reported Dec. 28.
The coalition includes healthcare providers Wellforce, Shields Health Care Group and UMass Memorial Health, as well as 12 other community and business groups.