On approved Prospect-YNHH deal: CT GOP senators say bipartisan CON reform needed

For Immediate Release

Sen. Republican Leader Stephen Harding, Sen. Heather Somers, Ranking Senator on the Public Health Committee, Sen. Ryan Fazio, and Sen. Jeff Gordon, a member of the Public Health Committee and a medical doctor, released the following statement regarding the announcement made by the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy that it has reached an agreed settlement with Yale New Haven Health Services (YNHHS) and Prospect CT, Inc. approving the certificate of need application for YNHHS’s acquisition of Prospect CT’s Waterbury Hospital, Rockville General Hospital, and Manchester Memorial Hospital:

“It’s positive news with regard to access to crucial local health care services, but it is unacceptable that approval took a year and left so many in our state in limbo. This is a reminder that reforms must be made to the Certificate of Need (CON) process in order to reduce barriers to health care for Connecticut residents. We support bipartisan proposals which would significantly improve health care access and affordability in Connecticut. By lifting barriers to the expansion of crucial health services, from mental health services to cancer treatment to hospital beds, we can pave the way for improved access and lower costs for our residents. These reforms strike the right balance between encouraging innovation and maintaining necessary oversight. There are various competing Certificate of Need reform bills, and we are committed to working with the Governor’s Office, Office of Health Strategy and the Public Health Committee to ensure that we end up with the best product that will serve the citizens of Connecticut.”

The lawmakers co-introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce roadblocks that the CON process creates to accessible and affordable health care:

• Lifting Certificate of Need for the expansion of select health services, enabling providers to better meet the evolving needs of the community.
• Maintaining Certificate of Need for closure, consolidating or eliminating patient care services, and private equity investment in hospitals, while refraining from imposing unnecessary new restrictions that could hinder the progress of healthcare facilities.
• Implementing a 30-day time limit on Certificate of Need decisions, ensuring a timely and streamlined process that benefits both healthcare providers and patients.
• Allocating additional resources to the Office of Health Strategies, empowering them to make informed and efficient decisions regarding Certificate of Need applications.