Bill Text: NJ A2485 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits hospital to obtain charity care reimbursement for patients who are county jail inmates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-21 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee [A2485 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A2485-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman MICHAEL PATRICK CARROLL
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Assemblyman ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Permits hospital to obtain charity care reimbursement for patients who are county jail inmates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning payment for hospitalization costs for certain county jail inmates and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. If a hospital that is eligible for charity care subsidies, as defined in section 2 of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.26:2H-18.52), provides care to a patient who is a county jail inmate, either as a prisoner or detainee, at the time of admission to the hospital, and who is not covered under a health insurance plan or has a plan that does not fully cover the costs of hospitalization, the hospital shall seek, and be entitled to receive on the same basis as for any other charity care patient, reimbursement for the care provided from the Health Care Subsidy Fund established pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.26:2H-18.58), provided that the inmate meets the income and assets eligibility criteria for charity care pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.26:2H-18.60).
b. The State shall be entitled to take such actions as are authorized pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1995, c.254 (C.30:7E-4), or as otherwise provided under statute or regulation, to recoup from the inmate the cost of any charity care payment made pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
c. A hospital shall not seek to obtain reimbursement from a county for any portion of the cost of care provided by the hospital to a patient for whom the hospital receives reimbursement pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
d. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services and the Commissioner of Corrections shall enter into an inter-agency agreement to govern any requirements or procedures that the commissioners deem necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2012, and if enacted after that date shall be retroactive thereto.
STATEMENT
This bill permits hospitals to obtain charity care reimbursement for patients who are county jail inmates.
The bill provides that if a hospital that is eligible for charity care subsidies, as defined in current law (section 2 of P.L.1992, c.160; C.26:2H-18.52), provides care to a patient who is a county jail inmate, either as a prisoner or detainee, at the time of admission to the hospital, and who is not covered under a health insurance plan or has a plan that does not fully cover the costs of hospitalization, the hospital is to seek, and be entitled to receive on the same basis as for any other charity care patient, reimbursement for the care provided from the Health Care Subsidy Fund in the Department of Health and Senior Services, provided that the inmate meets the income and assets eligibility criteria for charity care.
The bill stipulates that:
-- the State is entitled to take such actions as are authorized, pursuant to statute or regulation, to recoup from the inmate the cost of any charity care payment made pursuant to the bill; and
-- a hospital is prohibited from seeking reimbursement from a county for any portion of the cost of care provided by the hospital to a patient for whom the hospital receives reimbursement pursuant to the bill.
The bill directs the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services and the Commissioner of Corrections to enter into an inter-agency agreement to govern any requirements or procedures that the commissioners deem necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill.
The purpose of this bill is to relieve county taxpayers from the burden of the current unfunded mandate for expenses that should be paid by the State, rather than the counties, for the hospitalization costs of county jail inmates on the same basis as for charity care patients generally, when those individuals meet the income and assets eligibility criteria for charity care.
The bill takes effect on July 1, 2012, and if enacted after that date is retroactive thereto.
