DOVER — As the highly-debated bill to implement a Delaware hospital cost review board was considered by the Senate Executive Committee on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend announced a new development in negotiations between lawmakers and health care stakeholders.
Under a separate proposal introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, lawmakers are attempting to address a clause within House Substitute 2 for House Bill 350 that capped hospitals’ ability to charge more than 250% of Medicare’s cost for services.
The measure – House Bill 395, sponsored by House Majority Whip Kerri Evelyn Harris, D-Dover – would mandate that, for services, hospitals cannot charge more than the core regional Consumer Price Index, plus one point. The region includes Wilmington, Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.
The Delaware Healthcare Association – which represents a collective of Delaware hospitals, health systems and related health care organizations – has pushed back on this part of House Bill 350, as president and CEO Brian Frazee has mentioned it would cost the state’s non-profit hospitals more than $360 million.