hospital ChristianaCare

ChristianaCare sues to halt hospital board creation

Betsy PriceBusiness, Headlines

  ChristianaCare has filed a lawsuit to stop the creation of a board that would oversee hospital budgets, saying it violates the system’s state and federal constitutional rights and corporate laws, and threatens its mission to care for the community. The suit, filed in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, which deals with business issues, says House Bill 350 illegally gives the …

Diamond State Hospital Review Board Hospital board

Carney signs bill to create hospital review board

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

The Diamond State Hospital Review Board blew into existence Thursday when Gov. John Carney signed House Bill 350. The board, which will have authority to review Delaware hospital budgets, recommend changes and enforce those changes, will help the state and consumers lower their healthcare bills by limiting the growth of hospital budgets, supporters say. Theoretically, supporters believe, that means the …

hospital ChristianaCare

Hospital Board bill on way to Carney, who’s got a pen ready

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Government

The bill that will create a state board to oversee Delaware hospital budgets and order changes is finally on its way to Gov. John Carney to sign. He popped a statement out within moments of the House passing a Senate amendment to the bill, now styled as HS 2 for HB 350 w/ HA 1 + SA 1,  “Rising health …

Hospitals deal hospital

Hospital bill passes Senate on party lines, heads back to House

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

The bill to create a Delaware hospital budget review board, as expected, passed the Senate today after nearly one hour of comments by Republicans opposed to the state stepping into private businesses. House Bill 350 will now return to the House, which must vote on a Senate amendment that changed several points in the original bill. If it passes there, …

Hospitals deal hospital

Hospitals, legislators reach deal on state review board

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Government

State hospitals and legislators have reached a deal that will see House Bill 350, a bill to set up a state board that could review and force changes to hospital budgets, become law. Based on expected amendments, “the Delaware Healthcare Association stands neutral on HB 350 and will no longer actively oppose the bill at this time,” said Brian Frazee, …

Leg Hall hospital board CPI

Bill to amend hospital board bill pops up for vote unannounced

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A bill to alter the controversial hospital board bill, which is still moving through the Senate, was filed in the Delaware House at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday and showed up unannounced in the House Administration Committee at noon Wednesday morning. Despite protests from House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, R-Newark/Pike Creek, and Lyndon Yearick, R-Camden, about the speed and non-transparency of the …

hospital board

Hospital board bill on to full Senate; deal saves Medicaid tax

Betsy PriceBusiness, Headlines

A controversial bill that will establish a board to review and change hospital budgets is headed to the Senate floor after a lively committee hearing. There were some surprises and revelation of a compromise in the Senate Executive Committee Tuesday evening. Surprise one: Dr. Kara Odom Walker, who was secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services when …

Hospitals deal hospital

Business, nonprofit leaders warn hospital board is bad idea

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

  Business and nonprofit leaders have joined hospital and health groups in an effort to stop the state from creating a board that would control hospital budgets, but it might be too little too late. The issue will come up again today at 4 p.m. in the Senate Executive Committee, which has a hearing House Bill 350. It’s the last …

hospital board

House Dems force end to debate to pass speaker’s hospital bill

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Delaware House of Representatives Democrats on Thursday forced an end to a floor debate so they could pass their speaker’s controversial bill to create a state board to oversee hospital budgets. The move came after three hours of head-scratching gamesmanship in which Republicans essentially filibustered with multiple representatives questioning aspects of the bill and Speaker of the House Valerie Longhurst’s …

diamond state hospital review board

Hospital board pay: $40,000 a year to chair, $35,000 to six members

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A new version of the bill that would create a board to oversee state hospital budgets would pay the chairman $40,000 a  year and the six members at $35,000 a year. a total of $234,694 a  year. “For this analysis, average salary costs are assumed to be similar to those of other existing state boards and commissions,” the fiscal impact …