Massachusetts State House (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The following announcement was provided by the Healey-Driscoll Administration:
On Sept. 22, Governor Maura Healey signed An Act making appropriations for fiscal year 2025 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects to ensure critical funding for hospitals and community health centers in Massachusetts while also reimbursing for services for uninsured and underinsured residents.
While the state experiences significant demand for uncompensated care every year, hospitals and health centers are more acutely feeling strain this year due to more hospitals accepting patients on public payor insurance, growing expenses and increased use of services. In order to address the immediate shortfall, the Healey-Driscoll Administration and partners in the Legislature moved quickly to provide additional funding and relief for hospitals and community health centers.
Key provisions of the bill include:
$122 million for acute care hospitals serving a high percentage of low-income patients and under financial distress.
$77 million for the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, to reimburse hospitals and community health centers for services provided to uninsured and underinsured individuals.
An additional $35 million to community health centers and hospital licensed health centers, including $2.5 million earmarked for shared services.
“Thank you to the Healey Administration, House and Senate leadership, and all of my colleagues for recognizing the urgency of delivering critical funding to support our hospitals and community health centers,” said Representative John Lawn (D-Watertown), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “The Commonwealth will not turn away patients, abandon providers or retreat from our responsibility to ensure that every resident has access to high-quality care.”
“It is important to support our hospitals and community health centers so our residents get the access and quality of care they deserve across Massachusetts. This package is a step forward in maintaining our world-class health care ecosystem,” said Governor Maura Healey.
