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Advocacy & Legislative Affairs
New Jersey Hospitals: Imagine a Day Without Us
NEW!
"AARP, Health Professionals and Allied Employees, Medical Society of New Jersey and Others Support N.J. Hospitals" (.pdf file, 44 KB, 4 pgs.)
NEW!
"Care Today, Gone Tomorrow:" A State House Rally to Preserve Our Healthcare, May 12, 12 noon
Virtual Rally. Couldn't attend May 12? Click here to share your concerns with Gov. Corzine and state legislators. Join our Virtual Rally of New Jersey and others, support N.J. hospitals.
Hospitals are cornerstones of their communities. They provide healthcare and jobs, security and peace of mind. From community clinics to the maternity ward, from the operating room to the emergency department, it's hard to imagine your community without its local hospital. Unfortunately, more and more New Jersey towns are forced to live without the comforting presence of a community hospital. Consider these sobering statistics: - 22 New Jersey hospitals have closed since 1992
- Five hospitals have filed for bankruptcy in the past 18 months.
- Just 15 years ago, New Jersey had 112 acute care hospitals. Only 76 remain today.
- Of those 76, half lost money in 2007.
A combination of pressures has brought New Jersey's healthcare system to this critical condition. The leading factor is inadequate funding from state and federal government. New Jersey hospitals provide care to everyone who needs it, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. That's part of a hospital's caring mission, but it's also state law. In return for this "charity care," the state is supposed to reimburse hospitals for caring for these uninsured patients. But year after year that reimbursement falls short. Last year N.J. hospitals provided $1.3 billion in charity care services to patients, but received just $716 million in reimbursement from the state. The state's proposed budget for 2009 would cut that funding by another $143 million. In the last 15 years combined New Jersey hospitals have absorbed a staggering $6 billion in losses due to charity care underfunding. That, compounded by poor payments from other government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, has brought our state's hospitals to the current fiscal crisis. 2008 is an important year for stemming the tide of hospital closures in New Jersey. New Jersey hospitals need adequate state reimbursement that will allow them to keep their doors open and serving patients. Preserving charity care funding in the state's next budget is a critical first step. Click on the links below to learn more about the crisis confronting our state's hospitals, and learn what you can do to help preserve access to hospital care. - Video – "New Jersey Hospitals: Imagine a Day Without Us" (.wmv file, 40 seconds)
- Click here to share NJHA's video with colleagues
- "What Will Happen to My Hospital?" – An NJHA Special Report, with List of Hospital Closures (.pdf file, 544 KB, 4 pgs.)
- Frequently Asked Questions - What Does Charity Care Mean to Me? (.pdf file, 29 KB, 2 pgs.)
- Help Save N.J. Hospitals, Share Your Concerns With Lawmakers
- "AARP, Health Professionals and Allied Employees, Medical Society of New Jersey and Others Support N.J. Hospitals" (.pdf file, 44 KB, 4 pgs.)
- FY09 State Budget Blog - Members Only
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