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The Insurance and Real Estate Committee heard public testimony on SB 983, “An Act Limiting Anticompetitive Health Care Practices.”
The bill, proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont, would prohibit the use of certain contract terms between hospitals and insurers that supporters say drive up the cost of care for patients (lawmakers considered similar legislation last year). It would also set a cap on out-of-network costs for hospital services.
“The time has come for concrete action on health care affordability,” said Dr. Deidre Gifford, executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, during her testimony.
Several representatives from the hospital industry spoke in opposition to the bill, saying that the restrictions on contract clauses would drive up profits for insurance providers and that the cap on out-of-network rates would make it impossible to manage the “spiraling costs” facing hospitals today.
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