With Hospital Tax Still On The Table, Health Care Officials Descend On Capitol
Rep.
Speaking to a room full of hospital executives and other health care professionals at a press conference on Wednesday, Steinberg said he and Rep.
"We are looking at new ideas such as additional capital funding...believe it or not incentives to encourage hospitals to do what they need to do in terms of making investments, workforce development and easing regulatory burdens where it makes sense to do so," Steinberg said. "Let's look at those mandates and figure out how we can make it easier to provide quality care."
While Steinberg did not provide specifics, the conciliatory tenor of his comments stands in marked contrast to the often antagonistic relationship between Gov.
The governor's budget proposal would give municipalities the option to tax hospital-owned real estate for the first time, though property such as MRI machines and computers would continue to be tax-exempt. To help cushion the blow of the new tax, the state pledged to increase its supplemental
Hospital workers are skeptical. In scrubs and suits, they arrived en-mass at the state
"
Murphy said the governor's plan would result in higher costs for patients with commercial insurance, fewer health programs and services, thousands of staff layoffs and longer wait times for care. "Unfortunately, it is the weakest and the poorest among us who are harmed the most," he said.
The Malloy administration sharply disputed the dire scenario painted by the industry. Malloy spokesman
McClure said the governor's proposals would raise up to
"The hospitals would have you believe they alone are shouldering a tremendous burden on behalf of the state's residents in order to address the state's fiscal difficulties, and are subject to taxes so onerous that they can barely stay in business," McClure said.
Jackson cited uncertainty about federal health care policy under
Aresimowicz said he backs efforts to recoup more federal
Courant Capitol Bureau Chief
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