HARRISBURG – PA Senate Health & Human Services Committee Chair, Crawford County Sen. Michele Brooks amended House Bill 2344 to further provide oversight for hospital acquisitions and consolidations. In PA, there have been 15 hospital closures in the past five years. All but one was preceded by a change in ownership, merger or acquisition. Current law limits what the Attorney General’s Office can review in advance of these deals and provides no requirement for notification. The amended bill requires hospitals and health systems to provide advance state-level notification and accompanying documentation of mergers and acquisitions that exceed a threshold of $10 million, which is similar to federal requirements. Brooks said there are many communities that have been challenged with their hospitals closing or being downsized, as there is an alarming uptick in for-profit health systems entering into deals not designed for long-term viability and access to sustainable, quality health care. The bill now heads to the full PA Senate for consideration.
SEN. MICHELE BROOKS