Advocacy & Legislative Affairs
New Jersey Hospitals: Imagine a Day Without Us
June 30, 2008
State Budget Means an Uncertain Future for Hospitals
Hospitals are cornerstone of their communities. They provide healthcare, jobs and peace of mind. It’s hard to imagine life without your local hospital.
Unfortunately, more and more New Jersey towns have seen their local hospitals close their doors for good. They are the victims of poor government funding.
For hospitals and patients, the future looks even more bleak. The 2009 state budget cuts $111 million in charity care funds to hospitals. This funding is intended to reimburse hospitals for the care they provide to New Jersey’s 1.3 million uninsured residents. State law requires hospitals to provide this care, but the government’s repayment to hospitals falls short year after year. Next year’s funding has been cut dramatically, even as a weakened economy threatens many workers’ health insurance. The payments barely cover half of hospitals’ costs for caring for the growing number of uninsured.
Hospitals could face more closures, layoffs and service cuts. And patients could face longer drives, longer waits and a potential shortage of healthcare services. Click on the links below to learn more about the crisis confronting our state’s hospitals. And watch this space for updates on the hospital community’s efforts to preserve access to healthcare services in our state.
- "What Will Happen to My Hospital?" – An NJHA Special Report, with List of Hospital Closures (.pdf file, 551 KB, 3 pgs.)
- Frequently Asked Questions - What Does Charity Care Mean to Me? (.pdf file, 29 KB, 2 pgs.)
- Video – "New Jersey Hospitals: Imagine a Day Without Us" (.wmv file, 40 seconds)
- "AARP, Health Professionals and Allied Employees, Medical Society of New Jersey and Others Support N.J. Hospitals" (.pdf file, 44 KB, 4 pgs.)
- "Care Today, Gone Tomorrow" Rally: Photo Gallery