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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2593 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2507
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Edward R. Philips
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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 health care access.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk1/16/2025Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk3/4/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2593 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2507
By Representative Philips of Sharon, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2507) of
Edward R. Philips and Michael D. Brady that the Department of Public Health, the Health Policy
Commission and the Center for Health Information Analysis study current access to essential
health services. Public Health.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2251 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act assessing health care 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 Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended 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 to examine current access to essential
5health services, as defined by the department of public health under section 51G of chapter 111,
6provided by the Commonwealth’s acute care hospitals and in-patient psychiatric hospitals, the
7effect of the discontinuation of essential health services on that access, the projected need for
8those services in all regions of the Commonwealth over the next decade and provide
9recommendations as to how ensure access to those essential health services. This study shall 2 of 2
10include, but not be limited to (i) the current number of beds and services provided by each
11hospital in each region, including the most recent year’s admission and discharge data for each
12service by hospital; (ii) review discontinuations of essential health services by hospitals since
131992 and their effect on access to these essential health services; (ii) review hospital closures
14since 1992 and their effect on access to these essential health services;(iii) review plans provided
15to the department of public health following the discontinuation of essential services for
16compliance and identify where essential health services were provided following the
17discontinuation; (iv) calculate projected need for essential health services in each region; (v)
18calculate projected need, if any, for providers of essential health services to meet regional needs
19over the next decade; (vi) examine financial conditions that might lead to the discontinuation of
20essential health services, including but not limited to private and public reimbursement rates;
21(vii) identify essential health services by region that might be vulnerable to discontinuation over
22the next three years; (viii) examine the need for additional post in-patient discharge services
23(viii) Identify steps protect essential health services provided by financially vulnerable acute acre
24and inpatient psychiatric hospitals; (ix) review methods implemented in other states to
25discourage and manage the discontinuation of essential health services by acute care hospitals
26and in-patient psychiatric hospitals closures; and (x) recommend any policy changes to assure
27access to essential health services in all regions of the Commonwealth.