DELAWARE - Governor Matt Meyer on Tuesday announced two major pieces of legislation aimed at lowering healthcare costs and increasing access for Delaware residents, while also placing new limits on for-profit involvement in the state’s hospital system.
The proposal includes a bill to expand access to affordable care by establishing "one of the nation’s most comprehensive statewide standards for hospital charity care." Under the plan, hospitals would be required to provide free care to patients earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level and discounted care for those earning up to 400 percent, regardless of insurance status.
“Healthcare costs are too damn high, and Delawareans are being forced to make impossible choices. No one should have to decide between paying for their medications or their rent,” said Governor Meyer. “These bills are about putting Delawareans first — healthcare should be about helping people, not profiting off of their pain.”
Patients earning between 300 percent and 350 percent of the federal poverty level would receive at least a 75 percent discount, while those between 350 percent and 400 percent would receive at least a 50 percent discount. The legislation also includes a hardship policy offering at least a 50 percent discount for patients whose medical expenses exceed 10 percent of household income if they earn below 500 percent of the federal poverty line.
The measure would also require physicians working in hospitals, including emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, radiologists, and hospitalists, to honor hospital financial assistance determinations on their own bills and creates a standardized application process for charity care statewide.
“Healthcare is not truly accessible if people are afraid that getting care will financially ruin them. When families delay care because of cost, health outcomes worsen, preventable conditions become emergencies, and costs increase for everyone across the healthcare system,” said Senator Marie Pinkney, sponsor of SB 13.
A second bill would prohibit for-profit entities from acquiring or controlling nonprofit acute care hospitals in Delaware through July 1, 2028. The restriction applies to full acquisitions, mergers and indirect control measures such as minority ownership stakes or board influence.
State leaders say the move is designed to protect patients and communities from disruptions tied to hospital closures and profit-driven healthcare models.
“Healthcare costs are skyrocketing for a number of reasons: workforce shortages, inflation, and other market pressures. But on top of that, we’re seeing a surge of private equity firms buying hospitals around the country with one simple and alarming goal: maximizing profit off of patients seeking care,” said Sen. Mantzavinos, prime sponsor of SB 313.
