OHCA’s public
hearing about Yale-New Haven Health System’s plans to buy Lawrence &
Memorial Monday in New London ran over 6 hours and had to be continued to later
this month to finish. Public
comment was split between those favoring the deal and others with concerns.
A coalition of community groups, labor and consumer advocates, including the CT
Health Policy Project, have been certified as intervenors. We are concerned
that the deal will cement CT’s anti-competitive hospital/health system market driving
up prices, lowering access to care, reducing consumer choice and undermining efforts
to improve quality and value. The applicants have suggested that they will
invest $300 million in the New London region, but won’t say how or where the
money will come from, and they will make those decisions behind closed doors
after the deal is done. Intervenors urged YNHH to use the transparent Community
Health Needs Assessment process, required by the ACA, to develop a plan for
that funding in partnership with the New London community. Research finds that
monopolies drive
up health care prices more than 15% – CT prices are already too high, and
the state budget is too tight to withstand this.
