By Bob Katzen
House 148-1, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey $234 million supplemental budget that would provide financial relief to hospitals and community health centers across the state.
The bill includes $199 million in relief for acute care hospitals, including $122 million in targeted payments to facilities serving low-income patients and facing the greatest financial distress. Another $77 million would be transferred to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, which helps reimburse hospitals and health centers for care provided to uninsured residents. Community health centers would receive $35 million, including $2.5 million directed to the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers for initiatives such as shared services.
“Massachusetts has a healthcare ecosystem that is the envy of other states, and that doesn’t happen by accident,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Supporting every resident is part of what it means to be a leader in healthcare access. This funding will help our hospitals and community health centers provide high-quality care in every region, and provide critical services to our veterans, seniors and municipalities.”
“This funding will help to ensure that financially strained hospitals and community health centers can continue to serve patients across Massachusetts,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “As broad fiscal uncertainty and actions taken by the Trump Administration continue to exacerbate the challenges that hospitals are already facing, this supplemental budget is the latest example of the work that we are doing here in Massachusetts to provide targeted support where it is needed most.”
“Our hospitals and community health centers continue to step up to care for those most in need despite being under enormous financial pressure,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “New policies from the federal government will only exacerbate the strain on our health care infrastructure, so for Massachusetts to continue to be a leader in providing exceptional health care, we need to ensure that care is accessible, especially to our most vulnerable populations. This supplemental budget provides necessary funding to help live up to this goal.”
Rep. Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick) cast the lone vote against the budget. “This $250,000,000 bailout is due to the failed policies of the Democrats,” said Boldyga. “Once again they blamed President Trump but the reality is Democrats allowed ‘uninsured’ illegal aliens to flood our hospitals. Our healthcare system is now overwhelmed, bankrupt and broke.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the budget. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Christine Barber Yes Rep. Mike Connolly Yes Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven Yes Sen. Patricia Jehlen Yes