BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives voted to pass supplemental budget bill H.4530 on Thursday, which provided an additional $234 million in direct funding for hospitals and community health centers across the state, Sen. John Cronin announced – whose district includes Westford.
“Our health care system has been under strain from a hostile federal government that puts hospitals and patients in a no-win situation because of funding delays and Medicaid cuts,” Cronin said. “This funding bridges the gap for hospitals like UMass
Memorial in Leominster and Heywood in Gardner, so they can focus on what matters – providing quality care to our community.”
According to Cronin, the $234 million will go to supporting hospitals and community health centers battling rising costs and unreliable federal support for longstanding programs. Lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill pointed to a growing gap in available federal funds and high costs of services for the Health Safety Net program, which funds acute care hospitals and community health centers for necessary services provided to low income, uninsured, and underinsured Massachusetts residents.
Additionally, lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill said the new legislation “provides critical relief in the face of an unfriendly federal government and economic headwinds, distributing aid based on criteria that directs funding to vulnerable populations most in need of assistance.”
“Massachusetts has a healthcare ecosystem that is the envy of other states, and that doesn’t happen by accident. Supporting every resident is part of what it means to be a leader in healthcare access,” Senate President Karen Spilka said. “This funding will help our hospitals and community health centers provide high-quality care in every region, and provide critical services to our veterans, seniors and municipalities. I’m grateful to Chair Rodrigues for his leadership, Senator Friedman for her unrivaled expertise, my Senate colleagues for their work, and our partners in the House for their support.”
The newly approved funding provides $199 million to acute care hospitals, which includes both the UMass Memorial and Heywood Hospital, through an approach to maximize federal reimbursements and stabilize the Health Safety Net Trust Fund. The funding includes $122 million in direct payments for acute care hospitals, distributed based on individual hospitals’ patient mix, affordability, and financial standing. The bill also includes a $77 million transfer to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to stabilize the program for hospitals providing the highest volume of care for the state’s most vulnerable populations.
Additionally, the bill includes another $35 million in funding for community health centers, which have faced significant financial strain due to federal funding delays, Medicaid cuts, and rising costs. This includes $2.5 million for the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers to coordinate regional savings initiatives, including shared service options.
As the bill was approved by both the House and the Senate, it is now up to Gov. Maura Healey to approve or veto it.
