[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6632914,"mediaKeyId","2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877","parentId",2667405,"title","Trial lawyers oppose Connecticut bill to raise medical-record fees, argue it burdens patients","audioSeconds",171,"startMs",2655000,"endMs",2826000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877&start=2655&end=2826","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877/thumbnail_2655000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6632914/Connecticut/Trial-lawyers-oppose-Connecticut-bill-to-raise-medical-record-fees-argue-it-burdens-patients","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632914-34f1747af73c09e1e8745a6c428e3993/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205641&Signature=gMpSeTv2DEVzqbrAfz~qE7gALCJ4B4tryqbr2Ew6G9a1ZMLtGCzqzPrn20uTKt7OjpG7POh1SUQM7ZMPBal9DK~eT~uVv7jlINT7GlkwSzIIA7O-x0rMLHNOvYX2Q9nEj2Fieo3ikI3lkVkPNuEKDfIbJTZ5wnl-xPgI0JVOl6HErXSX-FyrwhtUTEukyPByRxamX1StLdEh1PcZs-btAfuZmY9QskffzSlPistW2qF3bVt8Ct8ntj0J~0Qf0chrYREC7G-WzVAZYxy-V2aZa~Wj4OPsz9Vqe3s2ocJRoY0dWOHWunmZjXVDKN7P8XQ9k2pwUfVJ5jb-ozxQRNTPCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Connecticut State Legislature - Public Health","date","2025-03-18T01:56:54.287Z","article","Peter Dreyer, president-elect of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, testified in opposition to Senate Bill 1508, saying the bill would \"unfairly increase cost for patients seeking access to their own medical records\" and would disproportionately burden the elderly, low-income and less-educated patients.

Dreyer said that when an attorney requests a patient's records, the patient ultimately pays for them through reimbursement or deduction from recovery, and that many clients cannot navigate portals or forms to obtain records themselves. \"Patients should not be penalized for how they obtain their medical records whether they request them personally or through an attorney,\" he said.

Dreyer cited the federal allowance that providers may charge $6.50 or their actual documented costs for electronic records and noted that many states cap electronic-record fees at or below $50 (he cited New Hampshire, Nevada and New Jersey as examples). He argued the bill's proposed fees would make Connecticut an outlier and create barriers to justice for patients pursuing malpractice or other claims.

\"If producing records is so expensive, where's the itemized invoice?\" Dreyer asked. He urged the committee to oppose SB 1508 and to protect patient access to records at reasonable cost. Committee members acknowledged the testimony and said they would continue to discuss fee structures; no committee vote on SB 1508 was recorded at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Health Committee Public Hearing","oneSentenceSummary","Peter Dreyer of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association told the Public Health Committee that Senate Bill 1508 would shift record costs to vulnerable patients and set fees higher than other states; he urged the committee to oppose the proposal.","taxTitle","Public Health, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Connecticut","taxId",15635,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632918,"Attorneys and advocates press Connecticut to curb private equity ownership of hospitals after Prospect Medical failures",2357,636000,2993000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877&start=636&end=2993","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877/thumbnail_636000.jpg","/articles/6632918/Connecticut/Attorneys-and-advocates-press-Connecticut-to-curb-private-equity-ownership-of-hospitals-after-Prospect-Medical-failures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632918-64f3313c1680d7ee6db108ffc380989a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205641&Signature=MxFfyxwscRpdSWkFzORXeQN4wv3VIlKEX5gvHaqVtPEK05eemaA99sIYQ0hG389pvzbV0jGH2RCPEAQAUE7ScTIiuEAiW6scLnaAyD5j8YmGi~VCxlnJjKcrF7UtM8onjTkfAWE5N09Sem7u7ZgJdCNVsnKvetsScUcudH~bsk5ZRAVsbGV44VT-HFApOQEUW9GdHFo9Y4qwU-MkzhOJhieMzCpjFXlK2IuywAdkY9wGNC7jRieXi7IPJh64Sb-QKM3x-6u4PhznHKrGWQOt7xb2Xk1RTNz8UzdfKV1PyaNlNFEUWM7fyYfO7LQslvkbJwj2q2xKQRSaBMJ3-A0fDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chris Matty, a private-practice attorney and former federal prosecutor, told the Public Health Committee that \"private equity ownership of healthcare facilities is simply incompatible with the delivery of healthcare in the state of Connecticut.\" Matty urged lawmakers to consider prohibitions or limits in response to recent failures by Prospect Medical Holdings and other private-equity-owned health systems.

Matty said private-equity investors seek short-term, high rates of return and that those incentives can lead to loading hospitals with debt, selling off assets and cutting investments that maintain clinical quality. \"It is very hard to see how the health care mission aligns with what [private equity's] duty to their investors is,\" he said.

Several other witnesses supported scrutiny or restrictions. Rosanna Ferrara, policy director at the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut, told the committee she and her organization \"wholeheartedly agree\" that private equity does not belong in health care. Tom Gilberti, president of the Southern Connecticut State College Democrats, recounted complaints from Waterbury Hospital staff and said state investigators found unsafe conditions at the facility after the Prospect takeover.

Witnesses cited concrete harms they say follow private-equity ownership: short staffing, deferred maintenance and equipment problems, cuts to training and services, and increases in patient complications. Matty described private-equity-owned hospitals as \"a financial firm masquerading as a hospital,\" saying patients and staff become \"widgets in a financial enterprise.\"

Committee members asked about potential trade-offs, including whether forbidding private equity would raise costs or reduce capital for struggling hospitals. Matty responded that some hospitals accepted private-equity deals as a perceived lifeline that instead worsened financial stability and community outcomes. Supporters urged transparency, transaction review and statutory limits on ownership structures; no committee vote on any related bill was recorded during the hearing.","Multiple witnesses told the Public Health Committee that private equity ownership of hospitals creates misaligned incentives and harms patients and staff; speakers cited Prospect Medical Holdings and Waterbury Hospital as examples and urged legislative scrutiny of private equity transactions in health care.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632923,"Advocates urge Connecticut to adopt hospital report cards, doula supports and a perinatal mental-health task force",800,1600000,2400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877&start=1600&end=2400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877/thumbnail_1600000.jpg","/articles/6632923/Connecticut/Advocates-urge-Connecticut-to-adopt-hospital-report-cards-doula-supports-and-a-perinatal-mental-health-task-force","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632923-7d6d2b5f0382796f8ddbedc8d83beee4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205641&Signature=GRNzi0NxVzVFFdlv-ccfT1SnyP9CU-DpHm3FSKDExq8GhDZtkaYiKJ2iGhL4AjSXI2AY3ZYyhIG-KuOpBxd4YtbtkeOZrQBtFanNygbli3EPkg8XC3~LBGDduK86zCF0tret54kP-5Ojz7Dm2BJLnT5f-CtFXx2UHacQpk1gT04wg6XyY63SMb1IsG8qVFH2aJ7ZuvkE3vAyiA2XPCk~Q8lIQvZiM55x1rq5tabPJho0-rAxgFqAra0w7jsyvk~lWhXeKjZJiZp1XBg7akUMUDU0ylC0Ib2wneXygNRYG~j46-nPfc6FvJVc4Dd6umZjec-Ug0QiOmmed092dXdxPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Allison Logan, cofounder of the CT 359 network, urged the Public Health Committee to support House Bill 7214, saying Connecticut needs systemic measures to reduce racial disparities and preventable maternal deaths.

\"These disparities are unacceptable and highlight the urgent need for systemic changes in maternal health care in our state,\" Logan said, citing a CT 359 policy advisory and data showing non-Hispanic Black parents experienced a higher rate of severe maternal mortality between February 2018 and February 2020.

Logan and other witnesses identified several bill provisions they described as essential: establishment of a hospital \"report card\" to measure perinatal outcomes and require improvement plans for low-performing facilities; creation of an advisory committee to study and promote doulas in hospital settings; and formation of a task force to study perinatal mental health care. Logan said those elements would help make care more equitable and reduce preventable deaths.

Obstetrician and longtime clinician Yvette Martis, chair of the Hispanic Health Council board of directors and a Connecticut resident, gave a clinical example to illustrate the stakes. She recounted a patient identified as \"JF,\" a 33-year-old Afro-Latina who presented multiple times with headaches, abdominal pain and borderline elevated blood pressure at 29 weeks' gestation and was sent home twice. Two days later the patient seized, was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome and placental abruption, and underwent an emergency cesarean delivery. Her newborn required life support and died in the neonatal intensive care unit 30 days later.

\"When there is a breakdown in this process, we ultimately arrive at the preventable component of poor outcomes,\" Martis said, arguing HB 7214 would create mechanisms for listening to patients and improving hospital responses to warning signs.

Eleanor Faraguna, a doula student who described work with women of color in Connecticut, told the committee that maternal mortality is on the rise and that many deaths are preventable. \"Please remember your humanity and the humanity of those who will be impacted by this and vote to support House Bill 7214,\" she said.

Rosanna Ferrara and Liz Gustafson also testified in support, calling for transparency and accountability and for measures that would allow midwives, doulas and perinatal professionals to work together to improve outcomes.

Committee members asked few procedural questions during the testimony. No committee vote or final action on HB 7214 was recorded at the hearing.","Witnesses at a Public Health Committee hearing urged lawmakers to pass HB 7214, proposing hospital report cards, a doula-friendly advisory committee, and a task force on perinatal mental health to address racial disparities and preventable maternal deaths.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632928,"Providers, advocates urge Connecticut to codify minors' access to reproductive care; attorney warns of secrecy risks",339,63000,402000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877&start=63&end=402","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2667405-566f27bc3a2eaf781beb4a6b3cee1877/thumbnail_63000.jpg","/articles/6632928/Connecticut/Providers-advocates-urge-Connecticut-to-codify-minors-access-to-reproductive-care-attorney-warns-of-secrecy-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632928-d6d280cf50667be1dd9deaff4a2569df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205641&Signature=JlTwAYwY1Mk15sE1JWU1jKwXprmW60ySKZDN1wIU2jlrLl2RuW5R4IcSqqSNcbTV8tqSlCE4xssmvqJ66UZh0bJH0WWmgdoQiGaYx1vIRdynnJuBfZdvVwqWdffOSd26UnefJ7~grtz9P9fYU8-wPdZ0CMInJ5VVvgfEju8yHhzaP9LNyjJSAX85EHMDsi5yNQh0z9l7rlGDUjpVxxXa9lOTvdCXEBgmzcNU-KA9k6w27DuKIb6kY64QK2D61~G9tl2iOoRygnyKB1FDR7E2WmjflQF6CynOGu4bT3VzLRQ3-yenjS9Kdo0XQ1Ftjen2YJ~yjfJRVw0ffdC4AZPJQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tricia Orozco, vice president of strategic implementation at InterCommunity Healthcare, told the Connecticut General Assembly's Public Health Committee that her community health center wants statutory language clarified so minors can obtain reproductive health care without parental consent.

\"As a federally qualified health care center, InterCommunity supports access to care and believes that all people have a right to quality health care, including minors,\" Orozco said during testimony. She described InterCommunity's operation of nine school-based health centers in East Hartford Public Schools and one in the Manchester Public Schools and said the organization seeks to \"codify current practice to include the rights of minors to obtain reproductive health care, including but not limited to contraception counseling and services, pregnancy testing, and treatment related to pregnancy without parental consent.\"

The witnesses said Connecticut guidance and agency materials already allow minors to consent to particular protected services, such as HIV treatment, certain mental-health services, substance-use treatment and sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment, but that statutory language does not explicitly name contraceptive and pregnancy-related care. Supporters told the committee the change is intended to reduce barriers and delays to care for adolescents who may not seek parental help.

\"We are asking for language clarity, which will ensure we, as medical providers, can support our minor patients in becoming responsible and healthy members of the community,\" Orozco said.

Not all testimony supported the change. Attorney Robert Hale, speaking in opposition, said the proposed definitions are expansive and could allow minors to receive certain services in secret, which he argued raises safety concerns. \"You are putting these children at risk by prohibiting notice to their parents,\" Hale said, adding that he interprets the bill's language as potentially covering gender-affirming care and as repealing existing regulations. He referenced existing state regulatory citations during his remarks.

Reproductive-rights organizations also testified in support. Liz Gustafson, Connecticut state director of Reproductive Equity Now, cited the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision and national trends that have restricted abortion access as additional reasons Connecticut should clarify protections. Rosanna Ferrara, policy director at the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut, and other witnesses said explicit statutory language would reduce confusion among providers and protect minors' access to timely care.

Witnesses and committee members discussed limits on authority and confidentiality; proponents said the change would align law with current medical practice and guidance, while opponents asked for tighter definitions and safeguards.

The hearing record shows testimony and references to Connecticut guidance and to specific state regulations discussed by opponents; no formal committee vote or final action on the bill was recorded during the session.","At a Public Health Committee hearing, health centers and reproductive-rights advocates urged lawmakers to clarify that minors may consent to contraception and pregnancy-related care without parental notification; an attorney warned the bill's language could permit secrecy and broaden protections beyond intent.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Trial lawyers oppose Connecticut bill to raise medical-record fees, argue it burdens patients

Attorneys and advocates press Connecticut to curb private equity ownership of hospitals after Prospect Medical failures

Advocates urge Connecticut to adopt hospital report cards, doula supports and a perinatal mental-health task force

Providers, advocates urge Connecticut to codify minors' access to reproductive care; attorney warns of secrecy risks