HB 5447, An Act Implementing Recommendations Of The Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy And Planning Committee And Concerning Temporary Family Assistance Benefits

TESTIMONY OF THE CONNECTICUT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
SUBMITTED TO THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

Thursday, March 12, 2026

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony concerning HB 5447, An Act Implementing Recommendations Of The Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy And Planning Committee And Concerning Temporary Family Assistance Benefits.  CHA supports the bill with consideration for ongoing hospital participation.

Connecticut hospitals make our state stronger by delivering nationally recognized, world-class care, supporting jobs and economic growth, and serving communities across Connecticut.  Every day, hospitals improve access, affordability, and health equity — providing care to all patients regardless of ability to pay.  At the same time, hospitals invest in their workforce and local communities, even as they navigate significant financial and federal challenges.

HB 5447 recognizes two significant gaps in Connecticut’s pediatric behavioral health continuum: access to clear, coordinated eating disorder treatment pathways and the lack of appropriate inpatient psychiatric options for youth and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

CHA appreciates the bill’s focus on improving access to eating disorder treatment resources in Connecticut. Families, referring providers, and hospitals often face significant challenges identifying appropriate programs and levels of care for children and adolescents experiencing eating disorders.  The creation of a centralized inventory of providers and services, including information about treatment settings and ages served, could help improve transparency and navigation across the system.  Clearer information about available resources may assist hospitals and community providers in identifying appropriate care options sooner, helping patients access specialized treatment and supporting safer, more timely care transitions.

CHA also recognizes these conditions often involve complex medical, psychiatric, and nutritional needs that require coordinated and specialized care.  Establishing clearer treatment guidance may help support more consistent approaches to care across providers and settings.

CHA welcomes the bill’s attention to the needs of youth and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities who require psychiatric care. Hospitals across Connecticut frequently care for children and adolescents with co-occurring intellectual or developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs whose care needs extend beyond what traditional inpatient psychiatric settings are designed to support.  When appropriate specialized placements are unavailable, hospitals face significant challenges discharging these patients to the most suitable level of care.  

The bill’s requirement that state agencies evaluate the feasibility of establishing a specialized inpatient psychiatric facility for youth and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities represents an important step toward addressing this gap in the continuum of care.  Ensuring that the state evaluates treatment models, capacity needs, workforce considerations, and sustainable reimbursement structures will be critical to designing services that effectively meet the needs of this population.

CHA believes that strengthening specialized behavioral health resources across the continuum will help ensure that children and families receive the right care in the right setting while allowing hospitals to focus on the acute care services they are designed to provide.

In order to ensure the outcome of the study required in section 3 of the bill is effective, we believe the bill should be amended to affirmatively require consultation with current providers of inpatient psychiatric services in the development of the study.  CHA looks forward to working with policymakers and partners, in consultation with hospitals and health systems, to support the thoughtful development of services that improve access to care for children and adolescents with complex behavioral health needs.

Thank you for your consideration of our position.  For additional information, contact CHA Government Relations at (203) 294-7301.