Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The governor and state executives aim to address financial risks and ensure the quality of patient care between increasing private capital involvement in the health care industry.
Janice how
Staff reporter
Olha yarynich, contributing photographer
Connecticut leaders presented a legislative proposal to expand the supervision of state health care transactions last week.
Governor Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong and Commissioner Deidre Gifford of the Health Strategy Office, or OHS, presented the proposal at a press conference last Thursday. If approved, the legislation will create a joint process between OHS and the Office of the Prosecutor General, allowing the state to review a wider range of transactions and protect the quality, affordability and access of health care.
“The main rule in health care is that a prevention ounce is worth a pound of treatment, and this is what has to do with this bill,” Lamont said. “We will never be surprised again – if this bill is approved – by some of the financial frauds that the prospect influenced.”
Connecticut health care landscape is and has been under strain, with increasing concerns Involvement of private capital and financial mismanagement risking patient care. Officials tell about cases like Prospect Medical Holdings, where $ 500 million Dividends were deviated from private capital owners, leaving hospitals loaded with debt and fighting to maintain surgeries.
Gifford underlined the emergency of action, noting that “it seems like you can’t get a newspaper lately without hearing about a practice affecting the quality, affordability or access to healthcare.”
of the proposed draft law It aims to modernize the supervision of Connecticut health care transactions. It expands the area of transactions undergoing review, including ownership changes, asset transfers, and unions that have previously escaped regulatory review.
According to the draft law, the Prosecutor General of the State and OHS will together appreciate the transactions for potential red flags related to antitrust issues, the quality of patient care and affordability.
Lamont emphasized the importance of proactive surveillance, especially in the light of Prospect’s bankruptcy recording.
A main provision of the bill is a new requirement for entities to notify regulators at least 60 days before a transaction occurs, doubled the current review period. This extension allows for a thorough examination of the financial and operational impacts on the state health care system. Moreover, the draft law includes punitive provisions to keep the subjects responsible for inconsistency.
Gifford said the legislation deals with the gaps and gaps in supervision that have allowed suspicious practices to “go uncontrollably”.
“There are many transactions that have the potential to cause harm to patients, workers and communities that the state does not have the ability to consider,” she said.
Lawmakers, including the Saud State Senator Anwar and MP Cristin McCarthy Vahey, co -chairs of the Public Health Committee, have expressed support for the billwith public hearings expected later this legislative session.
While officials are optimistic about the potential of the bill, they accept the complexity of regulating a developing health care industry.General Assembly of Connecticut The legislative session is postponed on June 4.
