Bill > S1610

This bill requires the Department of Public Health to commission a comprehensive study on healthcare access in Massachusetts, focusing on essential health services provided by acute care and in-patient psychiatric hospitals. The study will investigate the current landscape of hospital services, including the number of beds and services in each region, analyze hospital service discontinuations and closures since 1992, and assess their impact on healthcare accessibility. The research will project healthcare service needs for the next decade, examine financial conditions that might lead to service reductions, identify vulnerable essential health services by region, and explore methods used in other states to protect critical healthcare services. The study will also include recommendations for policy changes to ensure consistent access to essential health services across all regions of Massachusetts. The department will collaborate with the Health Policy Commission and the Center for Health Information Analysis to conduct this detailed examination of healthcare service availability and potential gaps in the state's healthcare system.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1610