Distressed nonprofit hospitals in the state are using chapter 11 to gain leverage against the attorney general, whose office critics say has caused some sales to collapse
Beverly Hospital near Los Angeles tried and failed for years to sell itself. It turned the corner when it filed for bankruptcy.
The chapter 11 filing in April gave the hospital operator some leverage against the state’s attorney general, who has the authority to mandate prospective buyers to maintain costly services such as emergency and charity care, and to accept patients covered by government-backed healthcare programs.
Such requirements had stunted Beverly’s earlier sale attempts. As its finances worsened, the hospital faced the rising possibility of shutting down, leaving tens of thousands of low-income patients in the city of Montebello without healthcare services.
The Wall Street Journal
By Akiko Matsuda
July 30, 2023