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HD 591

An Act preserving access to hospital services

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Brady and 1 co-sponsor

Establishes a state receivership process to maintain essential hospital or clinic services when closures occur without proper notice or would cut needed care.

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Bill Summary · HD 591

Summary: An Act preserving access to hospital services (HD 591)

Overview

HD 591, titled “An Act preserving access to hospital services,” seeks to protect access to essential health services in Massachusetts by creating a state receivership framework. Introduced on January 10, 2025, the bill directs the Department of Public Health (DPH), in coordination with other state agencies, to develop regulations establishing a process for state receivership of hospitals or free-standing clinics that provide essential health services under specified closure conditions.

What the bill would do

  • Establish a formal process for state receivership of hospitals or free-standing clinics that provide essential health services.
  • Trigger receivership when a facility closes (a) without the required 90-day notice or (b) after a department determination that the closure would discontinue services necessary to preserve access and health status in the facility’s service area.
  • Require regulations to include a funding mechanism and source for the receivership.

Key provisions

  • New provision to Chapter 111, Section 51G (7): The department, with other state departments or agencies, must promulgate regulations creating a state receivership process for any hospital or free-standing clinic that provides essential health services and meets either of the closing criteria above.
  • Regulations must specify how receivership would be funded (mechanism and funding source).

Scope and affected entities

  • Hospitals and free-standing clinics that provide essential health services in the Commonwealth.
  • The Department of Public Health (DPH) as the lead agency, with involvement from other state departments or agencies.
  • Impacts on facilities considering closure, as well as patients in service areas potentially affected by disruptive closures.

Triggers and process

  • Trigger 1: A hospital or free-standing clinic closes without the required 90-day notice.
  • Trigger 2: A hospital or free-standing clinic closes after the department determines that the closure would constitute a discontinuation of services necessary to preserve access and health status in the service area.
  • In both cases, regulations would establish the state receivership setup designed to maintain essential services and oversee the transition.

Funding and implementation

  • The bill requires a funding mechanism and source for the receivership to be identified in the regulations.
  • Specific details (e.g., funding amounts, sources such as state budgets or emergency funds) are not provided in the bill text and would be defined during regulatory development.

Relationship to existing law

  • The bill adds a new subsection (7) to Chapter 111, Section 51G of the General Laws, expanding DPH authority to regulate hospital/clinic closures through a state receivership framework.
  • It builds on existing public health authority to regulate health services and access but introduces a new state-led response to potential loss of essential services.

Status and context

  • Introduced: January 10, 2025.
  • House docket: No. 2534.
  • Similar measures were filed in a prior session (House No. 2143, 2023-2024), indicating ongoing interest in preserving hospital access through receivership mechanisms.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Positive: Provides a structured option to maintain access to essential services in communities facing hospital or clinic closures.
  • Fiscal considerations: Requires development of a funding mechanism, with potential implications for state budgeting and interagency coordination.
  • Regulatory development: The bill hinges on future regulations detailing operational specifics, governance, and funding arrangements.

Questions readers might have

  • How would receivership operate in practice (e.g., governance, staffing, continuity of care)?
  • What facilities would qualify as providing “essential health services” and who defines that scope?
  • How would patients’ access and quality of care be monitored during a receivership?
  • What constitutes a “discontinuation of services necessary for preserving access” in different service areas?

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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