Connecticut’s hospital industry launched a new television ad Thursday to protest Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposal to end nonprofit hospitals’ exemption from local property taxation.
Connecticut Hospital Association
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
No one wants a share of CT’s teacher pension bill
Municipalities and hospitals both fear the new cost burdens they would assume in Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget would grow quickly as state retirement benefit costs surge in the coming years.
Posted inHealth, Money
Hospitals ask feds to declare CT Medicaid rates, hospital tax illegal
Citing a host of job and program cuts and funding levels that threaten hospital viability and patients’ access to care, Connecticut hospitals have asked the federal government to declare that the state is violating federal law by paying inadequate rates for treating Medicaid patients and imposing a $556 million tax on the industry.
Posted inHealth
State rejects challenge to the hospital tax
Two state agency heads have ruled against Connecticut hospitals’ claims that the state tax on hospitals is illegal, clearing the way for the industry to take the state to court.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Bristol project becomes focus of tensions between state, hospitals
In the latest volley in a longstanding dispute over the financial health of Connecticut hospitals, state budget director Benjamin Barnes on Monday questioned Bristol Hospital’s plans to build a new medical office building and recruit staff, noting that hospital supporters had recently warned that state funding was needed to avoid compromising the community’s health and access to care. The hospital said Barnes was making unfounded accusations and mischaracterizing the situation.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Malloy suspends $140 million in payments to CT hospitals
Responding to shrinking tax revenues, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration suspended about $140 million in payments to Connecticut’s acute-care hospitals this week. The decision drew angry responses from the Connecticut Hospital Association and the legislature’s Republican minority.
Posted inHealth
Trying for a breath of fresh air in treating asthma
Asthma affects Connecticut residents at higher rates than the nation’s population as a whole, and it’s on the rise. Several local efforts are trying to make headway in changing the course of the disease, using approaches some say could serve as a model for addressing other chronic illnesses that are more heavily influenced by what happens in a patient’s daily life than treatment in the medical system.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Lawmakers, Malloy insist deficit-mitigation deal still within reach
Even with a state employee retirement incentive plan out of consideration, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and legislative leaders insisted Tuesday that a major deficit-mitigation plan could be enacted by mid-December.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
GOP calls for bipartisan talks, labor concessions, to reverse hospital cuts
Minority Republicans in the state legislature called Tuesday for bipartisan negotiations to reverse last week’s $190 million cut to hospitals. And House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, also called for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to approach state employee unions for concessions.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Casualties of Connecticut’s new budget: hospital services, access, and jobs
The new state budget is not finalized, yet the effect of taxing and underfunding hospitals is already being felt in the starkest terms: people are losing access to care, services, and jobs. This past week alone saw the announcements of clinic closings and hundreds of layoffs. If legislators do not restore much-needed funding to hospitals in the special session during the last week of June, hospitals will have to make additional painful choices. We can’t let this happen.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Hospitals: Good for health, essential for a healthy Connecticut economy
Look beyond the caregiving role of Connecticut hospitals and you will find a promising means of strengthening our state’s economy. In addition to being good for the health of residents, Connecticut hospitals are good for the health of business as well, contributing $21.9 billion annually to the state and local economies.
Posted inHealth, Money
Hospitals seek to phase out a growing provider tax
After watching a harmless fee turn into a hefty, increasing tax in just three years, Connecticut’s hospitals say a phase-out of the state provider tax is essential to preserve health care services and jobs.
Posted inNews
Op-Ed: Greater transparency at CT hospitals equals more reports of error
A key element of improving patient safety in Connecticut hospitals is to increase transparency. This commonly results in higher rates of safety events and errors being reported.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Greater transparency at CT hospitals equals more reports of error
A key element of improving patient safety in Connecticut hospitals is to increase transparency. This commonly results in higher rates of safety events and errors being reported.
Posted inHealth
Patients will get notices about ‘facility fees’ starting in October
Starting in October, patients will receive advance notification if they will face extra charges for getting outpatient care at hospital-owned facilities, under a bill Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law.