Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow the state to temporarily take control of a hospital that wants to end essential services, NPR affiliate WGBH reported July 6.
The bill would require the state's public health department to create a receivership process for hospitals and clinics that close either without providing 90 days of notice or after the department determines the closure "would constitute a discontinuation of services necessary for preserving access and health status in the hospital or free-standing clinic's service area," according to the report.
Three acute care hospitals have closed in Massachusetts since 2014 despite the health department determining their services were necessary, the report said.