Caring for Connecticut: Transforming How Care Is Delivered, One Patient at a Time

Connecticut hospitals are committed to putting patients first and providing the state with high-quality care. An outstanding hospital system is one that not only supports patient well-being, but also invests in local communities by partnering with others to improve health outcomes. In collaboration with providers across Connecticut, hospitals have remained dedicated to these efforts. Hospitals and health systems serve communities in times of crisis and are critical to lifesaving response efforts. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and their employees served on the front lines to ensure patients were receiving the best possible care. In this post-pandemic landscape, Connecticut hospitals continue to be the backbone of our communities through the care they provide, and the economic vitality they support. Hospitals’ commitment to building a skilled, diverse, and resilient workforce has driven Connecticut’s economy and supports high-quality, coordinated, cost-effective, patient focused care. Maintaining a strong hospital system is critical to keeping Connecticut's people and economy healthy. Connecticut hospitals are there when we need them, providing high-quality care for everyone who walks through their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. Connecticut hospitals: - Treat more than 1.4 million patients in their emergency departments - Serve 2.1 million persons through community benefit programs and activities - Provide care for more than 330,000 admitted patients, accounting for more than 1.9 million days of inpatient care - Provide nearly 10 million episodes of outpatient services to individuals - Welcome more than 35,000 babies into the world Hospital contributions to their communities extend far beyond great care and critical health services. Connecticut hospitals and health systems provide valuable resources in the communities they serve, and help Connecticut’s economy prosper and thrive. Hospitals invest in healthcare spending: - $7.6 billion spent on goods and services - $7.5 billion created in "ripple effect" spending - Total impact of hospital spending: $15.1 billion Hospitals invest in jobs: - 110,508 employed by hospitals. Payroll: $9.6 billion - 118,984 "ripple effect" jobs. Payroll $9.3 billion - Total jobs: 229,492and total Payroll: $18.9 billion Hospitals invest in capital improvements: - $607 million spent on buildings and equipment - $593 million additional economic activity generated - Total Impact of spending on capital improvements: $1.2 billion Hospitals contribute to community well-being in many ways, by providing uncompensated, subsidized, and free health services, contributing to research, and supporting community health improvement and community building activities. Connecticut hospitals contributed the following in community benefits in Fiscal Year 2021: - $6 million in subsidized health services to provide care needed by the community - $31.5 million in community health improvement services and operations - $233.7 million in health professionals education - $8.2 million in community building to create stronger, healthier communities - $7.6 million in research and other programs to advance healthcare for patients and the community - $243.8 million in uncompensated care: Charity care/bad debt to provide services for those who cannot pay - $23.9 million in donations to help support community organizations - $993 million in unpaid hospital care provided to Medicaid beneficiaries - $1.2 billion in unpaid hospital care provided to Medicare beneficiaries The Connecticut Hospital Association collaborated with Governor Ned Lamont and state lawmakers to develop and pass legislation focused on reducing healthcare costs for Connecticut families and improving the delivery of care across Connecticut. The new state policies passed during the 2023 legislative session are the product of CHA and Governor Lamont working with many stakeholders to advance ideas to reduce costs and build on the state’s nation-leading response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation reflects the shared commitment among all hospitals and health systems to sustain and improve a world-class healthcare system here in Connecticut. The legislation also recognizes the value that Connecticut’s hospitals and health systems provide every day, the financial challenges they are currently experiencing, and the sustained march toward lowering cost, improving community health and health equity, and eliminating administrative barriers that diminish care and add cost to our system.