Your voices were heard!
Thank you to the Yale New Haven Health System employees and supporters whose nearly 2,100 emails to state legislators this spring helped stop bills that would have negatively impacted hospitals in our health system and state-wide.
Three bills that would have increased or created new taxes on hospitals did not make it out of the legislature’s Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee in April. They were:
- A bill that would have increased the state’s provider tax on hospitals. If the bill had passed, YNHHS would have paid an additional $30 million in state taxes over two years. The health system already pays over $200 million, making it the largest taxpayer in the state, despite being not for profit.
- A bill that would have allowed cities and towns to tax all properties owned by hospitals.
- A bill that would have forced hospitals to pay sales tax on purchases of equipment, supplies and other items. As not-for-profit organizations, hospitals are currently exempt from property and sales taxes.
“I want to thank our employees, physicians and volunteers, along with their family members and friends, for emailing their legislators during our most recent Voter Voice campaign,” said Marna Borgstrom, YNHHS CEO. “Clearly, lawmakers heard and took to heart the stories you shared about how these bills would make it harder for us to deliver care to the people who rely on us.”
Borgstrom noted that YNHHS hospitals and physicians care for more than one quarter of the state’s Medicaid enrollees and, last year, provided more than $180 million in free and uncompensated care to those who needed our services and could not pay for them.
While YNHHS employees helped prevent the three bills from moving forward at this time, Borgstrom cautioned that they could come up again in future proposed legislation.
“In light of the growing state budget deficit, hospitals may again be targeted for cuts or additional taxes,” she said. “We may call upon you again to make your voices heard.”
