|
|
|
|
 December 2008
ACTION ITEMS
HEALTH COMMISSIONER ADDRESSES STATE CHAMBER MEMBERS: Health Commissioner Heather Howard was the guest speaker at the State Chamber’s breakfast series this week, discussing the successes of the Department and her plans for the upcoming year with the employer community.
During her lively presentation, Commissioner Howard discussed how the current economic crisis is impacting the uninsured population both in New Jersey and in the Nation. Citing statistics that for every 1% increase in the unemployment rate there is a corresponding 1.1 million more uninsured nationwide, Howard asked audience members to partner with her department to help spread the word about programs available to those without insurance. “167,000 children are eligible for some type of health insurance program (in New Jersey) yet they don’t have health care,” said the Commissioner.
On the subject of charity care, the Commissioner noted that mental illness and substance abuse were the two most common diagnostic categories in the charity care claim area, accounting for roughly 25% of total charity care activity. Financing charity care will be a major focus of budget discussions in the first quarter of the New Year.
NEW JERSEY CIVIL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN NEED OF REPAIR: The American Tort Reform Foundation (ATRF) has ranked Atlantic County as one of the worst judicial venues in the United States according to a recently released report. “This report should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers who want to take our state in the wrong direction by passing proposals that would invite even more lawsuits and make our courts less fair,” said Marcus Rayner, Executive Director of the New Jersey Lawsuit Reform Alliance. Developing a tort reform agenda and improving our tort system are priority issues for the Health Care Coalition.
A full copy of the ATRF report can be found here.
WELLNESS CAMPAIGN GOES NATIONAL: Two cities in Tennessee have adopted New Jersey’s “Mayors Wellness Campaign,” an indication that the unique program continues to take hold and make progress. The program is designed to encourage wellness on the local level by engaging the Mayors of each municipality. “This is exactly what we had in mind when we developed the program,” said David Knowlton, President of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. “We did not copy protect any of the elements of the Mayors Wellness Campaign because we wanted others to replicate our initiative and help get their own citizens on the path to active and healthy lifestyles,” continued Knowlton. Focusing on healthy behavior and preventive care activities that improve quality of life are priority items of the Health Care Coalition.
To see more about the campaign click here.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
NJ HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION RELEASES ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT: On Dec. 16 the New Jersey Hospital Association released their 2008 economic impact report, detailing the financial value brought to the state by the hospital community.
According to the report, New Jersey delivered:
- $18 billion in total expenditures
- $2.2 billion in purchased services
- More than 113,000 full-time jobs and total employment of nearly 145,000 (full and part time)
- More than $7 billion in total employee salaries
- Nearly $400 million in state income taxes paid by hospital employees
- $1.3 billion in charity care services to New Jersey’s working poor and other uninsured residents.
In addition, the report highlights the gap between charity care services provided ($1.35 billion) and the subsidy received ($605 million). The report details financial data for each county and each hospital group that is a member of the NJHA. You can view the full report by visiting here.
RATING NURSING HOMES: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled a new rating system for nursing homes throughout the country, allowing consumers to better use data previously available through other sources to learn more about the quality of service provided to our aging population. Highlights of the five-star rating system include the fact that 12 percent of the 16,000 nursing homes received the highest possible rating including 44 of the 361 nursing homes in New Jersey. You can review the new rating system by visiting here.
ERRORS REPORT AVAILABLE ONLINE: The Department of Health and Senior Services released its Patient Safety Act report this week, the third such annual report since the passage of the Patient Safety Act in 2004. The report details surgical errors, medication errors, falls and other incidents, and is designed to improve patient safety. The full report can be found here.
Jeff Scheininger
Chair
Platform for Progress Health Care Initiative
Jim Leonard
Vice President , Government Relations
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
216 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Phone: (609)989-7888 Ext. 118
Fax: (609)989-9696
Jim.Leonard@njchamber.com
|
|
|
