Healthcare

This bill restricts most Connecticut hospitals from selling and leasing back their main campus property (a "sale-leaseback") after October 1, 2026, except for hospitals in financial distress that obtain board approval and notify the state health commissioner and attorney general. It requires all hospitals to annually submit a written attestation confirming no private equity firm controls the hospital or interferes with clinical decisions, such as patient care timing, discharge policies, or medical diagnoses. The attestation must cover specific areas like emergency department triage, patient discharge decisions, and medical record entries. Hospitals must use a standard form developed by the state health commissioner to comply.

HB 5127 prohibits healthcare and veterinary providers in Connecticut from promoting or facilitating medical credit cards to patients. Specifically, it bans providers from advertising these cards using their name/logo, receiving financial incentives for doing so, helping patients apply for them, or charging medical credit cards for services before they’re provided or for add-on products without written consent. The law also prevents providers from charging medical credit cards for services that are covered by insurance (like HUSKY Health) unless the patient has declined coverage. These provisions take effect on January 1, 2027, directly affecting providers who previously offered or promoted such credit options.

This bill proposes the approval of a collective bargaining agreement between the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees and the Graduate Employee Union representing student workers. The agreement establishes wage increases and adjusts health insurance costs for graduate employees over a four-year period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2030. Specifically, it mandates annual raises ranging from 3.85% to 4.5% for salaries and per-credit rates while also requiring graduate employees to pay a higher share of their health insurance premiums. Additionally, the deal includes increases for university fee credits and a larger funding pool for childcare assistance.