Farmington, Conn.-based UConn Health asked for a three-year, $174 million bailout during an April 13 hearing in front of the state legislature's budget-writing appropriations committee, the Hartford Courant reported.
The health system, which lost $70 million in net patient revenue during the last fiscal year, is asking for $54 million, $59 million and $61 million over the next three years.
The bailout funds would be used to cover the cost of pensions and healthcare for UConn Health employees, according to the Hartford Courant.
"Primarily due to the state's unfunded legacy costs, the fringe benefits for our employees have been increasing at unsustainable rates," UConn Health CEO Andrew Agwunobi, MD, said during the hearing. "In fact, UConn Health's fringe benefit rates are over 65.2 percent versus an average of approximately 26 percent compared to other area hospitals — with the majority of the difference being attributable to these unfunded legacy costs."
UConn Health's request must be approved by the committee within 10 days. If it is approved, it will be subject to further review by the state's House of Representatives, Senate and governor.