The Connecticut Hospital Association launched a television ad Thursday challenging the governor's proposal to allow municipalities to levy a property tax on nonprofit hospitals, according to The CT Mirror.
The ad states residents may see hospital services cut and an increase in wait times due to the proposal.
"The proposed budget, with a scheme to let municipalities tax hospitals, has once again put hospitals and their services at risk," said Jennifer Jackson, CEO of CHA. "After more than $2 billion taxed and cut from hospitals in the past five years, we have no choice but to once again fight back against these dangerous and unprecedented attacks on patients, hospitals, and our healthcare system. We look forward to again working with legislators to protect and defend the critical healthcare services on which the people of Connecticut deserve and rely."
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D)'s administration said the tax on hospitals' property would amount to about $212 million per year, according to the report. Additionally, the budget proposal calls for $250 million in supplemental Medicaid funds for hospitals to offset the tax.
"Let's be clear: in a budget that includes $1.3 billion in spending cuts, the governor's plan would increase total funding to the hospital industry by $28 million," Chris McClure, a spokesperson for the governor's budget office, told the CT Mirror. "For an industry that repeatedly claims to be in dire financial circumstances, it's remarkable that they can find millions of dollars every year for paid advertising."
The CHA has aired the commercial on network and cable television stations, as well as online at http://nomorehospitaltax.org/.