A commission to protect Maine hospitals this week issued a report with more than a dozen recommendations.
They include codifying into state law that hospitals must give 120 days notice before closing a maternity unit. Currently giving such notice is voluntary.
Several recommendations also focus on private equity purchases of hospitals.
Democratic state senator Mike Tipping, co-chair of the commission, told members of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee to consider requiring balanced debt-to-equity ratios in hospital purchases in order to prevent future financial failure.
"I mean there were a lot of metaphors used about how you rescue a sinking ship and things like that, and you do desperate things in desperate times," Tipping said. "But I think the majority felt that this particular, specific practice would be like putting another hole in the ship at that point when it's already in trouble."
Members of the committee must now decide whether to develop any bills based on the recommendations.
