Bill Text: NJ A3205 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits State from billing counties for cost of psychiatric hospitalization when patient or legally responsible relative is responsible for costs by court order.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-25 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee [A3205 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A3205-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits State from billing counties for cost of psychiatric hospitalization when patient or legally responsible relative is responsible for costs by court order.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning payment for costs of hospitalization for certain patients in psychiatric hospitals and amending R.S.30:4-68.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.30:4-68 is amended to read as follows:
30:4-68. In all cases where a patient is found to have a legal settlement in any county in this State, and he and his legally responsible relatives are unable to pay the cost of his hospitalization, then the cost of his care and maintenance shall be borne by such county from the beginning of his confinement, as provided by law, except that part which may be collected on account of his board, as provided in section 30:4-60 of this Title.
In all cases where a court orders that a patient or a legally responsible relative is responsible for the full costs of the patient's hospitalization, the State shall not bill the county for any portion of the cost of the patient's care, regardless of any expectation of repaying or crediting any adjustment billing.
(cf: P.L.1965, c.59, s.53)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits the State from billing counties for the cost of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization when a court orders that the patient or a legally responsible relative is responsible for the costs of the hospitalization.
Currently, the Department of Human Services employs a system whereby it bills counties for the costs related to these patients, and then credits the counties through a subsequent reconciliation process.
It is the sponsor's belief that counties should not have to raise taxpayer dollars to pay State invoices in cases where a court order requires the patient to be responsible for the full cost of care. Additionally, the current "credit and reconciliation" process is duplicative, administratively inefficient, and wasteful of taxpayer-funded employees' time.
