SB 406, An Act Concerning Rate Increases For Community Service Providers

TESTIMONY OF CONNECTICUT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION SUBMITTED TO THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

Friday, March 25, 2022

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony concerning SB 406, An Act Concerning Rate Increases For Community Service Providers.

CHA supports immediate rate increases for community service providers. Since early 2020, hospitals and health systems have been at the center of Connecticut’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, acting as a vital partner with the state and our communities. Hospitals expanded critical care capacity, procured essential equipment and supplies, and stood up countless community COVID-19 testing locations. Hospitals have been an essential component of the statewide vaccine distribution plan including efforts to reach and serve historically under-resourced communities disproportionately affected by the virus.

Connecticut hospitals share an urgent interest in ensuring that Connecticut residents with acute behavioral health needs have access to the most appropriate services when and where they need them. We emphasize the importance of investing in hospital-based and community services to resolve the current crisis and achieve system improvements.

Current rate challenges for community providers have exacerbated the crisis in demand for behavioral health services for children and adults. Healthcare providers are experiencing unprecedented demand for services and difficulty recruiting and retaining staff. We support rate increases for community-based behavioral health service providers to enable them to offer integrated care to improve the health outcomes and care experience of individuals.

An investment in the full array of community-based services, including post-hospital services such as partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP), will benefit patients by ensuring access to care and enabling timely and safe discharge from hospitals, which will in turn reduce overcrowding in emergency departments, shorten waiting lists for post-hospital programs, and free up resource-intensive services such as inpatient psychiatric care.

Thank you for your consideration of our position. For additional information, contact CHA Government Relations at (203) 294-7310.