Washington state lawmakers mull new hospital merger requirement
Becker's Healthcare February 12, 2024
The Washington State Senate has passed Senate Bill 5241, known as the Keep Our Care Act, which would add care access rules for hospital mergers.
The bill, which was passed by the Senate on Feb. 8, would require hospital, health system or provider organization mergers, acquisitions or contracting affiliations to provide additional documentation on how care access, like reproductive or gender-affirming care, would be affected by the transaction.
Under the bill, the state’s attorney general would need to determine through a public process if said transaction could negatively affect accessible or affordable healthcare for at least 10 years post-transaction, according to an SB 5241 report.
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