An Act relative to essential health services

This bill amends Massachusetts law to protect access to essential health services by penalizing hospitals that stop offering them. It requires any medical facility that provided these services as of January 1, 2017, to keep them available or face license suspension. The penalty applies only if there is no other hospital within a 10-mile radius that can provide the same essential services. This measure aims to ensure that communities do not lose critical healthcare options without a local replacement.