SB 00476 Summary

• Repeals and replaces section 19a-127k effective January 1, 2023, establishing new requirements for hospital community benefit program reporting to the Office of Health Strategy rather than the Healthcare Advocate.

• Requires all hospitals, including both nonprofit and for-profit acute care general hospitals, to submit community health needs assessments within 30 days of public release, implementation strategies within 30 days of adoption, and annual status reports by October 1 each year.

• Expands definitions to include "community benefit partners" (government, private sector, faith-based, and community organizations), "health equity," and "health disparities" with emphasis on addressing systemic social and economic obstacles to health.

• Mandates hospital assessments and strategies include meaningful participation from diverse community members, particularly those experiencing greatest health disparities, with documentation of how community input influenced planning decisions.

• Authorizes the Office of Health Strategy to access all-payer claims database data for hospitals' community benefit planning and requires annual public summaries and analysis of hospital reporting to inform state health planning and identify additional stakeholder engagement opportunities.