More hospital chiefs say they support government regulation of health care costs

By Liz Kowalczyk, Globe Staff

In a surprising shift, support appears to be growing among Massachusetts hospitals for some type of temporary regulation of health care prices, to reduce the significant inequities in how much providers are paid.

During the second day of health care cost hearings today, a panel of four hospital chiefs and one insurance company head, all but one -- Dr. Gary Gottlieb, chief executive of Partners HealthCare -- said they support temporary government controls.

“Fundamentally, I believe in the market,’’ said Andrei Soran, chief executive of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham. But “the market got out of hand. Intervention will bring it back to the appropriate level. But we won’t need it for long.’’

Soran said he is concerned about the ability of underpaid hospitals, like his own, to compete with highly-paid providers for doctors and patients, and to pay for cutting-edge medical technology.

Gottlieb, whose organization includes Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals, which are among the most expensive, found himself on the hot seat. “I cannot speak to price variation very well,’’ he said after repeated questioning. “We don’t focus on other people’s negotiations, we focus on how we can achieve our mission.’’

The panel was responding to presentations from Governor Deval Patrick’s administration and Attorney General Martha Coakley’s staff showing that prices paid to hospitals and doctors’ groups with market power are helping drive up health care costs. Those increases are coming at the expense of employers and consumers who pay insurance premiums, and are also hurting lower-paid providers.

Read more on the hearings here today, and in the Globe tomorrow.