Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is again eyeing legislation that would increase oversight of private equity activity in healthcare, Mass Live reported Jan. 2.
In June, state lawmakers sought to pass legislation that would prevent real estate investment trusts — REITs — from owning hospitals. However, the fate of the bill was undetermined in late 2024. Political appetite for increased regulation of private equity peaked after Dallas-based Steward Health Care, one of the largest hospital operators in the state, filed for bankruptcy in May.
Gov. Healey did not specifically say whether she would sign the bill into law, but noted that it was among "a range of things that got done in an incredibly productive session," according to the report.
The bill was part of a flurry of legislation sent to the governor's office on Dec. 31, the last day of the 2024 legislative session. The bill would boost reporting requirements for hospitals and health systems and give the state more power to monitor mergers and acquisitions in the state's healthcare industry.