DOVER, Del.- The Delaware Healthcare Association (DHA) has shifted its position on House Bill 350 from opposition to neutrality, following pivotal amendments proposed by the Senate.
The revisions to HB 350 address several critical concerns previously highlighted by the DHA, such as modifying the reference-based pricing to avoid a drastic $360 million reduction in funding for Delaware's hospitals and health systems. The amendments also introduce more flexibility in the healthcare spending benchmarks and clarify the process for performance improvement plans.
According to DHA, despite these improvements, the organization says it maintains reservations about certain elements of the bill, including the establishment of a politically-appointed board with authority over hospital budgets.
"The members of DHA reserve rights to remedy this legislation if passed. We will continue our work to ensure Delaware hospitals can meet their obligation and commitment to provide access to high- quality care to our patients and the communities we serve." said President and CEO of the Delaware Healthcare Association, Brian Frazee.
The House Bill was cleared from the committee phase as of May 7. However, a vote on HB 350 isn't expected until later in the month.