House Approves Rockville Hospital Maternity Bill

The House of Representatives approved legislation (HB 5048) to require hospitals seeking to terminate inpatient or outpatient service to file a certificate of need (CON) application with the Office of Health Care Access (OHCA) division of the Department of Public Health (DPH).  The bill passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support.

The legislation arose from Rockville General Hospital’s decision to close its maternity ward. Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN), the parent company of Rockville General, was able to quietly move forward with its plan because a change in state law, requested by the former Governor Jodi Rell, eliminated OHCA’s oversight authority.

The bill will ensure that smaller hospitals that currently pre-date the Certificate of Need Process – like Rockville General Hospital – are given the same protections as hospitals that operate under a Certificate of Need.

The bill included input from the Connecticut Hospital Association as well as outpatient surgical facilities. It restores Office of Health Care Access oversight for termination of service requests giving OHCA discretion to hold a public hearing or members of the community to request a hearing as allowed under the CON process. The restoration of transparency assures the local community and facility clients are informed of any potential service terminations.  

According to the non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis, the legislation has a potential General Fund revenue gain to the State because there is a fee charged to the hospital for an application for a CON.