WALLINGFORD – The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) released the following statement in response to a legislative proposal unveiled today by legislative leaders and the co-chairs of the Appropriations and Human Services Committees to increase Medicaid rates:
“We look forward to being part of continuing conversations with lawmakers, the governor, state policymakers, and other advocates to ensure that solutions address pressures across healthcare and support patients, healthcare workers, and communities. The ultimate goal should be to increase Medicaid rates across the healthcare continuum. This includes hospitals where providers care for everyone who walks through their doors, regardless of their ability to pay, even as Medicaid underpayment—which totaled more than $1.4 billion in hospitals in 2023—creates staggering challenges. The goal should also include payment reforms that enable investments in the community to ensure the Medicaid program is better able to address root cause drivers of chronic disease and poor health outcomes. The need to include hospitals in immediate efforts is crucial and becomes even more so when the hospital tax settlement expires in the upcoming biennium.”
