newjerseynewsroom.com

300,000 people sought care in 2009-10

State charity care funding to New Jersey hospitals will increase by $85 million to $665 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday by the Department of Health and Senior Services.

The $85 million in funding includes a $60 million increase over last year's $605 million original budget allocation and a restoration of $25 million made as part of mid-year budget reductions.

Alaigh said the budget provides for $665 million in charity care funding across 72 hospitals, representing an $85 million increase over the previous year while maximizing matching federal funding. At least 300,000 received medical care through charity care last year;

"This funding increase clearly demonstrates Gov. Chris Christie's commitment to maintain and strengthen the health care safety net for New Jersey's most vulnerable residents when they need it most,'' Health Commissioner Poonam Alaigh said. "Despite the state's current fiscal crisis, the governor has made charity care a priority."

During reviews of Christie's proposed $29.3 billion state budget, legislative Democrats criticized the governor for not providing enough charity care aid.

Alaigh said this year's charity care funding maximizes federal matching dollars, creates a more equitable distribution of funds to hospitals, protects safety net hospitals and responsibly manages the financial risk to hospitals by normalizing the year to year funding changes.

The commissioner said improvements to the distribution formula reduce year-to-year funding changes while minimizing any negative consequences for safety net hospitals. She said the formula preserves the goal of charity care to ensure the state's limited resources go to the hospitals that provide the most charity care funding.

The formula increases the reimbursement floor by 200%, providing a more equitable level of funding for institutions that received the most limited reimbursement in the past.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM