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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 807 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1450
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jacob R. Oliveira
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act assessing healthcare access.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and WorcesterLindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/25/2023Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk1/27/2023Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and Plymouth1/27/2023Carlos González10th Hampden2/2/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/13/2023 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 807 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1450
By Mr. Oliveira, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1450) of Jacob R. Oliveira,
Lindsay N. Sabadosa, Paul R. Feeney, Marc R. Pacheco and other members of the General Court
for legislation to assess healthcare access. Public Health.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act assessing healthcare access.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by adding at the end the following section:
3 The Department, in consultation with the Health Policy Commission and the Center for
4Health Information Analysis, shall commission a study. The study shall examine current access
5to essential health services, as defined by the department of public health under section 51G of
6chapter 111, provided by the Commonwealth’s acute care hospitals including community
7hospitals, in-patient psychiatric hospitals, the effect of the discontinuation of essential health
8services on that access, the projected need for those services in all regions of the Commonwealth
9over the next decade and provide recommendations as to how to ensure access to those essential
10health services. This study shall include, but not be limited to (i) the current number of beds and
11services provided by each hospital in each region, including the most recent year’s admission
12and discharge data for each service by hospital; (ii) review discontinuations of essential health 2 of 2
13services by hospitals since 1992 and their effect on access to these essential health services; (ii)
14review hospital closures since 1992 and their effect on access to these essential health services;
15(iii) review plans provided to the department of public health following the discontinuation of
16essential services for compliance and identify where essential health services were provided
17following the discontinuation; (iv) calculate projected need for essential health services in each
18region; (v) calculate projected need, if any, for providers of essential health services to meet
19regional needs over the next decade; (vi) examine financial conditions that might lead to the
20discontinuation of essential health services, including but not limited to private and public
21reimbursement rates; (vii) identify essential health services by region that might be vulnerable to
22discontinuation over the next three years; (viii) examine the need for additional post in-patient
23discharge services (viii) identify steps to protect essential health services provided by financially
24vulnerable acute care and inpatient psychiatric hospitals; (ix) review methods implemented in
25other states to discourage and manage the discontinuation of essential health services by acute
26care hospitals and in-patient psychiatric hospitals closures; and (x) recommend any policy
27changes to assure access to essential health services in all regions of the Commonwealth.