MA S873

Hospitals must provide 180 days advance notice to the Department of Public Health before closing or discontinuing essential health services, including notification to municipal officials, staff, labor unions, patient councils, and affected legislators

Creates a Health Planning Council within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to develop a state health plan updated every 2 years, establishing at least 15 health planning regions to assess regional healthcare needs and resource capacities

Requires the Center for Health Information and Analysis to identify hospitals in financial distress and report at-risk hospitals to state health officials every 120 days

Hospitals closing or discontinuing essential services without an approved plan face a 2-year ban on new applications under the determination of need process and ineligibility for certain state funding programs

Establishes penalties for violations: fines up to $150,000 for first offense of discontinuing essential services, up to $300,000 for subsequent offenses, and up to $500,000 for hospital closures, with penalties applying to entire hospital networks under common ownership