Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Key CT legislator wary of proposed for-profit hospital moratorium

  • Health
  • by Arielle Levin Becker and CTMirror Contributor
  • April 3, 2014
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Connecticut hospital officials came to the state Capitol Wednesday for their annual lobbying day with a big question mark lingering over the session: How far will lawmakers go in restricting the conversion of nonprofit hospitals to for-profits?

With four of the state’s 28 nonprofit hospitals poised to be acquired by a national for-profit chain, the legislature’s Public Health Committee last week advanced a bill that would place a moratorium on hospitals converting to for-profit, a concept cheered by union leaders and other critics of for-profit health care.

But that proposal is expected to be revised, and on Wednesday, House Speaker J. Brendan Sharkey indicated that he would prefer a less restrictive approach.

“For myself, I think it’s very important that we do not tie the hands of our local hospital networks and their ability to grow in a responsible way,” Sharkey, D-Hamden, said in an interview. “And I’m a little nervous about the notion of doing any kind of a moratorium because I think the world is changing so quickly that I think we can’t afford to be trying to artificially stop what is happening in the marketplace already, very quickly.”

Sharkey has indicated in the past that his party would work to expand the state approval process for changes in hospital ownership. And he said Wednesday that said it’s important to ensure that differences between for-profit and nonprofit hospitals are accounted for in determining whether changes can take place.

“But fundamentally, I am less concerned about the question of it being for-profit versus nonprofit as I am with the prospect of a takeover occurring among out-of-state versus in-state [companies],” he said. “I think it’s critically important that we maintain a robust hospital network in Connecticut that is Connecticut-based.”

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has also expressed reservations about a moratorium, saying last month that he was “a little leery of a one-size solution fitting all.” He said he preferred nonprofits, but that there aren’t many nonprofits vying for Connecticut hospitals.

For lawmakers, the question of how to handle the potential conversion of hospitals to for-profits has been a contentious matter.

The proposal that cleared the Public Health Committee would add new regulatory requirements for changes of ownership among nonprofit hospitals and would impose a moratorium on for-profit conversions starting Oct. 1. Hospitals that apply for state approval to convert to for-profit before that would be allowed to proceed with their plans.

Hospital officials say the ability to partner with larger networks is critical to the survival of small, community hospitals and would make them better able to adapt to changes in the health care system. Being for-profit, they say, would give them better access to capital to upgrade facilities and buy costly technology.

Rep. Whit Betts, R-Bristol. Behind him are Tenet Healthcare Senior Vice President Trip Pilgrim and Bristol Hospital lobbyist Chris Cloud.

Arielle Levin Becker / The CT Mirror

Rep. Whit Betts, R-Bristol. Behind him are Tenet Healthcare Senior Vice President Trip Pilgrim, left, and Bristol Hospital lobbyist Chris Cloud, right.

“Health care right now is not the place where you want to put too many restraints. It’s too volatile,” Marie O’Brien, chairman of the Bristol Hospital Board of Directors, told legislators during a meeting Wednesday morning.

Bristol is one of four hospitals poised to be acquired by Tenet Healthcare, a national for-profit chain, in partnership with the Yale New Haven Health System. Waterbury Hospital is already seeking state approval to form a joint venture with Tenet, and Tenet is also in talks with the parent company of Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals.

But Tenet Senior Vice President Trip Pilgrim said Wednesday that the bill as written “would preclude us from being in the state of Connecticut.”

Although Pilgrim said people in the four communities Tenet is considering entering are supportive, he added, “There are people that don’t want to see us here in the state. We know that.”

Critics of for-profit health care include unions and advocacy groups such as the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, which have raised concerns about having hospitals run by companies with shareholders. They’ve pointed to scandals involving for-profit hospitals in other states and warn that some could eliminate money-losing services to improve their bottom lines.

Concerns about the long-term survival of certain hospitals shouldn’t overshadow the need for safeguards for workers and communities, they say.

Public Health Committee Co-Chairwoman Sen. Terry Gerratana, D-New Britain, who helped develop the conversion bill, has likened for-profit hospital chains to big box stores and said it’s important for the state to be cautious about having hospitals in the hands of companies that answer to shareholders.

And many lawmakers, even those who are not opposed to hospitals becoming for-profit, have reservations about changes in the health care landscape, or have constituents with concerns.

Rep. Frank Nicastro, D-Bristol, said during a meeting with Bristol Hospital officials and employees Wednesday that he’d been asked more than 100 times why the hospital was doing this, why changes were necessary. He asked for help explaining it.

Rep. Christopher Wright, D-Bristol, said he believes changes need to be made, but that many of his elderly constituents worry about anything that could change access to their doctors.

Sen. Jason Welch, R-Bristol, said he hears from people in the community with questions about what would happen to designated charitable gifts and to hospital retirees if the Tenet deal goes through.

O’Brien and hospital President and CEO Kurt Barwis said aligning with Tenet and the Yale New Haven system was necessary to anticipate changes in the health care system.

James Albert, president and CEO of the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce and a former health care executive, said Bristol Hospital needs a partner to survive. He predicted that the state will one day be dominated by a handful of networks, including one of Catholic hospitals, the Yale New Haven Health System and Hartford HealthCare — a prediction that’s not uncommon among health care experts.

Rep. Whit Betts, R-Bristol, a strong supporter of allowing hospitals to become for-profit, said the key will be to ensure the state has oversight on changes that take place.

Related Stories
  • CT lawmakers, wary of changing health care landscape, consider restrictions on for-profit hospitals
  • Democrats want more oversight on hospital ownership changes
  • Though some resist, more hospitals joining networks

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arielle Levin Becker Arielle Levin Becker covers health care for The Connecticut Mirror. She previously worked for The Hartford Courant, most recently as its health reporter, and has also covered small towns, courts and education in Connecticut and New Jersey. She was a finalist in 2009 for the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists and a recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and the National Health Journalism Fellowship. She is a graduate of Yale University.

CTMirror Contributor

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
As seniors complain of trouble scheduling COVID vaccines, Connecticut beefs up its appointment phone line
by Jenna Carlesso

Gov. Lamont praised Connecticut's efforts to vaccinate seniors but wasn't as eager to discuss problems with the state's appointment system.

The state’s largest COVID vaccine center is up and running — but so far, there’s no formal plan to pay for it
by Jenna Carlesso and Dave Altimari

State officials say the vaccine rollout is similar to the mass testing plans and hunt for protective equipment last spring.

Health issues carried weight on the campaign trail.
by Victoria Knight | Kaiser Health News

Even with the Democrats’ newfound Senate majority, differences in health policy between the party’s moderate and progressive wings will persist.

Trump’s pardons included health care execs behind massive fraud
by Fred Schulte | Kaiser Health News

At the last minute, President Donald Trump granted pardons to several individuals convicted in huge Medicare swindles that prosecutors alleged often harmed or endangered elderly and infirm patients while fleecing taxpayers. “These aren’t just technical financial crimes. These were major, major crimes,” said Louis Saccoccio, chief executive officer of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, […]

‘It’s a nightmare:’ A growing number of seniors are unable to book vaccine appointments as problems mount
by Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso

The state acknowledged Friday in an email to local health workers that some residents are waiting days for a callback.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion It’s time to standardize arts grants in Connecticut
by Mandi Jackson and Daniel Fitzmaurice

What all arts organizations need most right now is multi-year, unrestricted general operating support with simplified, fair processes for accountability. This would allow the arts community to better respond to the needs of Connecticut residents instead of the political process, lobbyists, or wealthy donors.

Opinion Accessory dwelling units are a good thing
by Toni Gold

Connecticut’s large, old houses are a resource that any town should treasure — not just for their charm and historical value, but because of their potential for adaptation. One tool that can help ensure the viability of these structures is zoning, and particularly zoning for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). There’s a movement to  legalize ADUs statewide. It’s a good idea whose time has come.

Opinion New Haven and Yale: Giamatti and DiLieto:  A historic moment? Or a model? 
by Neil Thomas Proto

The City of New Haven’s effort today to seek an increase in financial contribution from Yale is more historically justified than is often recognized.

Opinion A call to save arms: is vaccination really the solution?
by Genevieve Diamant

Economic modelling done by professional statisticians is often used to claim that the ounce of prevention provided by a vaccine is much better than the pound of cure that well-funded hospitals, fully staffed with professional nurses and doctors, using effective pharmaceutical remedies, can provide. But is this actually true?

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO