Connecticut Lawmakers Push for Private Equity Hospital Reforms

0:00Connecticut lawmakers are pushing for the third straight year to rein in private equity firms owning hospitals here in the state. After years of bipartisan frustration, the Public Health Committee co-chairs say this session feels different, with Senate Bill 196 already. Passing the Senate and heading to the House. Earlier this week, that bill cleared the upper chamber, banning private equity from majority control of a hospital's main operations or meddling in. Clinical choices. It also blocks those shady sale lease-backed deals where hospital sell buildings to investors and get stuck paying rent. Meanwhile, Governor Ned Lamont's House Bill, 5045, ramps up oversight through the certificate of need process for big deals like mergers. Or, asset grabs over 20% by private equity players. Lawmakers and the governor's team have been hashing this out for months, unlike last year when finger pointing killed similar plans amid prospect. Medical holdings, bankruptcy mess. Now, with those prospect hospitals snapped up by

1:02Hartford HealthCare and Yukon Health, there's less fear of scaring off buyers. This could be the start of bigger reforms as federal Medicaid cuts pile on pressure for private cash and health care, forcing smarter rules to keep. Profits from trumping patient care. Local news, powered by AI, this is Hartford News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.