HB 6976, An Act Concerning The Department Of Public Health’s Recommendations Regarding Hospital Emergency Department Diversion

TESTIMONY OF THE CONNECTICUT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony concerning HB 6976, An Act Concerning The Department Of Public Health’s Recommendations Regarding Hospital Emergency Department Diversion. CHA opposes the bill.

Connecticut hospitals and health systems care for patients, strengthen the state’s economy, and support vulnerable communities across the state. Every day, they work to improve healthcare access, affordability, and health equity. Even as they face ongoing challenges, hospitals provide world-class care to everyone who walks through their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. Hospitals also support an exemplary workforce as the largest collective employer in the state, contribute significantly to the state’s economy, and invest in their communities addressing social drivers of health.

HB 6976 seeks to establish emergency department (ED) diversion requirements, the permissible grounds for a hospital to declare a diversion, requirements for hospitals to receive diverted patients, and reporting requirements for hospitals. The bill also would require the Department of Public Health (DPH) to promulgate regulations and includes sanctions on hospitals that fail to meet the new obligations.

CHA is concerned that the bill creates red tape but does not provide hospitals with any assistance. There is already a functioning ED diversion criteria and reporting process that involves the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). CHA is not aware of any problems with the OEMS system.

  • CHA has implored various state agencies to help with hospital throughput issues that can cause backups and potentially trigger diversion of a hospital ED, including but not limited to:
  • Underfunding of Medicaid rates for physicians and specialists that limit access to preventive care
  • The lack of community resources, services, and inpatient beds for behavioral health patients
  • Burdensome commercial insurance practices relative to prior authorization
  • The increasing of state administrative burdens

In addition, last year this Committee passed SB 181 (PA 24-4) An Act Concerning Emergency Department Crowding that requires each hospital with an ED, beginning January 1, 2025 and ending January 1, 2029, to analyze certain ED data from the previous calendar year with the express statutory goals of (1) developing policies or procedures to reduce wait times for admission to the hospital after a patient presents to the ED, (2) informing potential methods to improve admission efficiencies, and (3) examining root causes for delays in admission times. These reports are required to be reported to the Public Health Committee on March 1, 2025 with findings and recommendations for achieving the statutory goals.

CHA has concerns that SB 6976 looks at ED issues in isolation, does not coordinate with the Committee’s work last year, and does not address the underlying issues causing ED overcrowding and instead creates additional regulatory hurdles without real world solutions.

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