Connecticut SB 496: AN ACT REQUIRING THE HATE CRIMES INVESTIGATIVE UNIT TO RESPOND TO AND INVESTIGATE INSTANCES OF TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 496
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING HOSPITAL UNCOMPENSATED CARE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section, 1
(1) "hospital" has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-490 of 2
the general statutes, (2) "hospital financial assistance" means any 3
program administered by a hospital or health system, including a bed 4
fund, as defined in section 19a-509b of the general statutes, that reduces, 5
in whole or in part, a patient's liability for the cost of inpatient or 6
outpatient care, and (3) "hospital financial assistance program" means a 7
program in which a participating hospital provides inpatient and 8
outpatient care: 9
(A) At no cost to an uninsured patient with income not exceeding two 10
hundred per cent of the federal poverty level; 11
(B) Subsidized by hospital financial assistance for an uninsured 12
patient with income exceeding two hundred per cent of the federal 13
poverty level but not exceeding three hundred per cent of the federal 14
poverty level; 15
(C) Subsidized with hospital financial assistance for any patient with 16
income not exceeding four hundred per cent of the federal poverty level 17
who is enrolled in (i) the federal supplemental nutrition assistance 18
program, or (ii) the federal Special Supplemental Food Program for 19

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Women, Infants and Children; and 20
(D) For patients with household income under two hundred per cent 21
of the federal poverty level who are deemed ineligible for hospital 22
financial assistance, billed in accordance with a payment schedule 23
amounting to not more than two per cent of such patient's annual 24
household income per year. After a cumulative thirty-six months of 25
payments by such patient, each participating hospital shall consider the 26
patient's hospital bill paid in full and permanently cease any and all 27
collection activities on any balance that remains unpaid. 28
(b) A hospital may opt in to the hospital financial assistance program 29
and be reimbursed pursuant to section 2 of this act. A participating 30
hospital shall not (1) count a patient's assets when determining 31
eligibility for hospital financial assistance, or (2) require the patient to 32
provide proof that the patient's application for benefits under the state 33
medical assistance program, Medicare, Emergency Medicaid, other 34
government-funded coverage or insurance through the Connecticut 35
Health Insurance Exchange was denied. A hospital shall use software 36
that conforms to industry standards concerning electronic income 37
verification and may accept one of the following documents to verify 38
income: 39
(A) A copy of the patient's most recent tax return; 40
(B) A copy of the patient's most recent W-2 form and 1099 forms; 41
(C) Copies of the patient's two most recent pay stubs; or 42
(D) Written income verification from an employer if the patient is 43
paid in cash. 44
(c) A participating hospital shall exempt patients who are 45
experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of homelessness 46
from providing documentation pursuant to subsection (b) of this section 47
but may require such patients to provide self-attested information for 48
both a hospital financial assistance screening and hospital financial 49

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assistance application. 50
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 19a-509b of the general 51
statutes, a participating hospital shall make information available on the 52
hospital financial assistance program in each of the top non-English 53
languages spoken by five or more per cent of the population that reside 54
in the geographic area served by the hospital. Such information shall (1) 55
be included in all discharge paperwork and on the hospital's Internet 56
web site, (2) contain contact information for the Office of the Health Care 57
Advocate, and (3) comply with requirements concerning effective 58
communications under the Americans with Disabilities Act, including, 59
but not limited to, communications delivered through relay services, 60
interpretation, large print and braille. 61
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section, 62
"disproportionate share hospital payment" means a Medicaid payment 63
to a hospital that serves a disproportionately large number of Medicaid 64
beneficiaries and uninsured individuals. The Commissioner of Social 65
Services shall amend the Medicaid state plan to use disproportionate 66
share hospital payments to compensate hospitals that participate in the 67
hospital financial assistance program established pursuant to section 1 68
of this act. 69
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall establish criteria for a 70
participating hospital to document hospital financial assistance and 71
receive timely payment for such assistan