Boston hospital giant considers buying regional health plan

Partners HealthCare, the prominent academic system of hospitals and doctors in Massachusetts, is in talks to buy regional health insurance company Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the Boston Globe reports.

Why it matters: Partners, the parent of Massachusetts General Hospital, already owns a separate insurance company and wields immense power in the state and nationally. Adding a larger entity like Harvard Pilgrim would build on the trend of hospitals being both the buyers and sellers of care, and would further entrench the system's hold in the region.