Bill Text: NJ AR27 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to investigate charges for paramedic services billed by Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation to Monmouth and Ocean County residents.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee [AR27 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-AR27-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL
District 10 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Rumpf
SYNOPSIS
Urges Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to investigate charges for paramedic services billed by Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation to Monmouth and Ocean County residents.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Assembly Resolution urging the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to investigate the charges for paramedic services billed by the Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation to residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Whereas, The Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation, or MONOC, is the only provider of paramedic services in Monmouth County and northern Ocean County under a certificate of need granted by the Department of Health and Senior Services; and
Whereas, MONOC provides advanced life support services, on behalf of the 10 acute care hospitals located in Monmouth, Ocean and Atlantic counties, to 1.5 million residents living in an area that is more than 1,500 square miles along the northern, central and southern shore of New Jersey; and
Whereas, It has been reported that there is no limit to the amount that MONOC is permitted to bill these residents for the advanced life support services that it provides; and
Whereas, It has been further reported that MONOC charges an average of $1,285 for its services and has filed more than 600 lawsuits against Monmouth and northern Ocean County residents who have not paid their bills, which in many instances their insurers refuse to pay because of the exorbitant amounts billed by MONOC and which these residents of modest means cannot reasonably afford to pay out-of-pocket; and
Whereas, It has also been reported that residents have been billed by MONOC for services that they believe were not commensurate with the amount charged them, and that in one instance a resident was billed $1,589 by MONOC in addition to the $850 charged by the hospital emergency department and the $300 charged by the ambulance squad; and
Whereas, A number of residents have indicated that they will not call the 911 emergency telephone service in the event that they encounter a future medical emergency but will attempt to resort to some other means of securing transportation to a hospital emergency room; and
Whereas, Under these circumstances, it is necessary for the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to investigate the charges for paramedic services billed by MONOC to residents of Monmouth and northern Ocean counties in order to determine whether these charges are reasonable and appropriate for the services rendered by MONOC to this population, and to take such further action as the commissioner determines necessary to ensure that these residents have adequate access to advanced life support services during medical emergencies; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to investigate the charges for paramedic services billed by the Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation, or MONOC, to residents of Monmouth and northern Ocean counties in order to determine whether these charges are reasonable and appropriate for the services rendered by MONOC to this population, and to take such further action as the commissioner determines necessary to ensure that these residents have adequate access to advanced life support services during medical emergencies.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk of the General Assembly, shall be transmitted to the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully urges the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to investigate the charges for paramedic services billed by the Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation to residents of Monmouth and northern Ocean counties in order to determine whether these charges are reasonable and appropriate for the services rendered, and to take such further action as the commissioner determines necessary to ensure that these residents have adequate access to advanced life support services during medical emergencies.
