(WLAD) Sen. McLachlan: State government hits Danbury Hospital but doesn’t cut its own spending.

Article as it appeared on WLAD.com
Hospital workers oppose Malloy’s budget cuts, lobby lawmakers
Posted 2013-04-12 12:04:00

Connecticut hospital workers took to the state capital yesterday to lobby against proposed cuts in state aid. Governor Malloy’s two-year budget plan cuts state aid to hospitals by $550 million.

Danbury State Senator Mike McLachlan and others in the delegation met with representatives of Danbury and New Milford Hospitals.

Among those at the state capital was Danbury Hospital Nurse Andy Hull. He was shot and wounded by an elderly male patient in 2010. Hull, a former Marine, protected his co-workers while subduing the man who carried a gun into the building and hid it under his hospital gown.

Western Connecticut Health Network President and CEO Dr John Murphy says they are looking at a 30 million cut. He says they will be forced to scale back on programs and services, including those for low-income families and mental health services. Murphy says among these would be several community clinic programs, many of the patients who need care most are those who lose care first.

Murphy says they are looking at a 30 million cut. Gov.Malloy says hospitals can absorb the cuts because of additional revenue we will receive from the Affordable Health Care Act through newly insured patients. But Dr. Murphy says the care provided to patients on government-sponsored plans, such as Medicare and Medicaid, will likely receive the lowest reimbursements, and will not cover the cost of the services.

McLachlan says state government is not cutting its spending, but instead calling on hospitals to take the brunt of cuts. He calls that imbalanced and says it should be reconsidered.