FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | June 11, 2026
Contact: Sarah Fulton (302) 401-1114
DOVER — Following the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 1(S) earlier this spring, the Senate advanced several bills Thursday that would increase access to care, control hospital costs, and examine long-term solutions to lower health care costs for patients across the First State. All three bills received bipartisan support.
Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 13, sponsored by Sen. Marie Pinkney and Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha, enhances requirements for hospitals to guarantee financial assistance for patients at or below 300% of the federal poverty line that may be at risk of accruing insurmountable medical debt for necessary and often life-saving emergency care.
“Healthcare is not truly accessible if people are afraid that getting care will financially ruin them. When families delay care because of cost, health outcomes worsen, preventable conditions become emergencies, and costs increase for everyone across the healthcare system,” said Sen. Pinkney, chair of the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. “This is not just a consumer protection bill. It is a public health bill, it is a healthcare affordability bill, and it is a dignity bill.”
“SB 13 works to create clearer statewide standards for hospital financial assistance, improve transparency for patients, and help ensure Delawareans are aware of available support before medical debt spirals out of control. It also strengthens protections for patients while applications for assistance are being reviewed,” said Rep. Chukwuocha, chair of the House Health & Human Development Committee. “This legislation aims to move us toward a more transparent, compassionate, and accessible system for Delaware families.”
The Senate also passed Senate Bill 313, sponsored by Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos and Rep. Kendra Johnson. This legislation prohibits nonprofit acute care hospitals from being acquired by private equity firms.
“Healthcare costs are skyrocketing for a number of reasons: workforce shortages, inflation, and other market pressures. But on top of that, we’re seeing a surge of private equity firms buying hospitals around the country with one simple and alarming goal: maximizing profit off of patients seeking care,” said Sen. Mantzavinos. “We’re not going to let this happen in Delaware. I’m proud to work with Rep. Kendra Johnson to place a moratorium on these types of transactions until further notice.”
The need for this legislation is underscored by the recent closure of Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital just over the state line. As a result, countless patients across the region lost access to their primary health care provider and thousands of health care workers became unemployed.
“Around this time last year, Delaware County, PA issued a disaster declaration to help communities find alternative emergency medical services after Crozer Health filed for bankruptcy, and promptly closed Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital. I was one of the thousands of patients affected by this closure, and I refuse to let my community in Delaware suffer like my community in my hometown Chester still is,” said Rep. Johnson. “I am proud to work alongside my colleague Sen. Mantzavinos in ensuring that SB 313 is passed and signed into law — implementing necessary safeguards to avoid a catastrophic hospital shutdown like we saw happen in Delaware County.”
At a press conference last month, Governor Matt Meyer announced his plan to introduce a comprehensive health care competition framework prior to the July 2028 expiration of the moratorium. This plan will be aimed at lowering costs, increasing transparency, and addressing the consolidation that has driven up prices nationally.
Senate Joint Resolution 19, sponsored by Sen. Ray Seigfried and Rep. Chukwuocha. directs the Delaware Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS) to examine additional solutions for tackling the State’s high cost of health care. Once passed, SJR 19 will require DHSS to submit a report to the General Assembly by January 1, 2027, that explores the feasibility of additional strategies to lower health care costs.
“Whether it’s higher insurance premiums, larger deductibles, increased out-of-pocket costs, or the burden on taxpayers who fund public programs, the cost of care affects all of us. In 2023 alone, Delaware’s total health care spending reached nearly $11 billion, or more than $10,500 per person. That’s not just a statistic, but represents a growing financial strain on families, employers, and state government,” said Sen. Seigfried. “These rising costs are not isolated to any one part of our health care system. They are being driven by spending across multiple sectors, including hospital care, health insurance, long-term care services, and prescription drug costs. If we are serious about improving affordability, we need to take a comprehensive look at the entire health care system and understand how each of these sectors contributes to overall costs.”
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