General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Marie Pinkney and Matt Meyer With A Legit Healthcare Proposal.  I’ve come to the conclusion that all the posturing against ChristianaCare will amount to nothing because legislators have no intention to allow it to amount to anything..  But this I like:

Delaware lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday that would greatly increase the number of patients eligible to receive free treatment, often called charity care, from the state’s nonprofit hospitals.

The legislation, Senate Bill 13, comes months after a Spotlight Delaware investigation called into question the charity care practices at the state’s largest healthcare system, ChristianaCare.

The new legislative push also follows a separate effort last summer in which the state paid off medical debts for thousands of Delawareans, despite hospital charity care policies that could have made that treatment free.

Nonprofit hospitals, like ChristianaCare, are required by the Internal Revenue Service to provide a “community benefit” to earn their tax-exempt status. Historically, that benefit has been charity care.

But changes in recent decades to federal and state guidelines have allowed nonprofit hospitals to set charity care policies at their own discretion, removing any requirement of providing it in order to receive a tax break. 

And Spotlight Delaware’s investigation found ChristianaCare had reported massive excess revenues to the IRS while its free care remained stagnant for more than a decade.

Now, it appears lawmakers are hoping to open the door for more patients to receive free treatment through SB 13. The bill would raise the income cutoff level for receiving discounted or fully covered care. 

Senate Bill 13 would dramatically increase the level at which patients can receive charity care.

In October, Spotlight Delaware reported hospitals had to provide free or discounted care to patients living at or below 350% of the Federal Poverty Line, or $55,860.

Under the new proposal, all of the state’s nonprofit hospitals would be required to provide free care to patients living below 300% of the Federal Poverty Line, with large discounts for patients in higher percentage brackets.

• Below 300% of the FPL ($46,950 a year) – Full discount
• 300-350% of the FPL ($46,950 to $54,775 a year) – 75% discount
• 350-400% of the FPL ($54,775 to $62,600 a year) – 50% discount

Separately, the legislation allows people living at 500% of the Federal Poverty Line — $78,250 a year — to seek out a 50% discount if the billed expenses are greater than 10% of their income.

The bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Marie Pinkney (D-Bear), said SB 13 would protect patients from “aggressive” medical debt collection practices, expand notification and screening requirements for hospitals to determine if patients are eligible for financial assistance.

According to the bill, patients can’t have their outstanding medical debt sent to collection agencies while they have pending financial assistance claims. And if those hospitals do send patients to collections, the proposal would require them to invalidate that debt.

Hospitals must also “prominently” post their charity care policies in admission and registration areas in addition to on patient bills.

“This bill recognizes something very simple,” Pinkney said. “Healthcare is not truly accessible if people are afraid that getting care will financially ruin them.”

Bottom line:  ChristianaCare has deliberately ignored its responsibility to provide charity care.  This bill seeks to rectify it.  Which reminds me:

State Senator Ray Seigfried (D-Arden) called the trend, “totally unacceptable.”

He added the increase is reflective of a rise in hospital prices over the last 25 years, that significantly outpace worker earnings.

“That trickles down to the average person in terms of co-pays, premiums, and they’re paying way, far too much.”

Is this mic on?  Ray Seigfried’s profession was as a bean-counter for ChristianaCare.   He knew all about how the system was rigged against patients for all that time.  Enabled it. This is nothing more than a (political) deathbed conversion designed to minimize his professional complicity in this systemic rip-off.  But, I digress.

Ah, yes, post-game wrap-up.  Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  As I predicted, the licensing fee increases passed on a straight party-line vote in the Senate, and heads to the Governor.

Today’s Senate Agenda features one notable bill designed to improve access and affordability for mental health treatment.  The bill:

…known as the Fair Standards in Mental Health Care Act, builds on previous work to advance mental health parity and aims to ensure patients with private insurance can access timely, evidence-based mental health and substance use disorder care in Delaware.

While I didn’t excerpt the entire synopsis, it’s well worth reading as this is a pretty comprehensive bill.

OK, let’s check out today’s Committee meeting highlights.  Starting in the Senate:

SB 309 (Seigfried) ‘removes authority from the Department of Corrections to deduct pay from inmate accounts for a proportionate share of the costs of incarceration of inmates in the facility in which the inmate is housed.’  Corrections.

SS1/SB 161 (Pinkney) ‘revises Delaware law governing behavioral health treatment provider organizations by establishing a comprehensive statutory framework governing licensing, oversight, enforcement, client rights, provider duties, incident reporting, and investigations relating to behavioral health treatment services.’  Health & Social Services.

SB 308 (Hansen) ‘provide(s) the (Public Service) Commission with authority and responsibility to: (1) Review and evaluate load forecasts submitted by Delaware Commission-regulated electric distribution companies to PJM’.  This is needed because ‘electricity demand across the PJM footprint, including Delaware, is projected to grow due to data centers, electrification of vehicles and buildings, and other large load additions.’  Meaning, accurate forecasts are essential. Environment, Energy & Transportation.

SS1/SB 168 (Walsh).  Alcohol delivered right to your door.  Yep, special interest legislation.  Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology.

SS1/SB 23 (Huxtable).  The synopsis is complex.  The purpose of the bill is not–increasing the availability of affordable housing.  Sen. Huxtable is the leading legislative expert on this issue.  Housing & Land Use.

SB 294 (Cruce) ‘makes full-time students attending post-secondary education for an associate or baccalaureate degree eligible for child care assistance.’  Education.

SS1/SB 300 (Sokola) strengthens licensing requirements for deadly weapons dealers.  Executive.

Time for another cuppa before I tackle today’s House Committee highlights:

HB 355 (Morrison):  ‘The purpose of this Act is to protect victims of sexual assault, discrimination, or harassment from retaliatory lawsuits that arise when a victim of sexual assault discloses information regarding an act of sexual assault, discrimination, or harassment.’  Judiciary.

HS1/HB 356 (Burns) ‘prohibits the sale of class B firefighting foam that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals starting January 1, 2028.’ Health & Human Development.

HB 387 (Hilovsky) ‘temporarily addresses Delaware’s childcare crisis by gradually increasing Purchase of Care eligibility from 200% to 275% FPL over 5 years starting July 1, 2026, reducing benefit cliffs and supporting moderate-income families.’  Hey, Reps. Morrison and Wilson-Anton are on the bill as co-sponsors, making this a rare constructive bill from an R.  Health & Human Development.

As usual, I didn’t quite finish this in time for today’s very first committee hearing.  But, my intentions were good–which must count for something.