New Jersey hospitals going broke, shutting doors
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
July 9, 2008
New Jersey has 1.3 million uninsured residents, reports The Washington Post. Because New Jersey law requires that hospitals treat all patients who need care and later get reimbursed from the state, hospitals are being forced to close in the wake of having to pay for many patients for whom the state cannot. Budget cuts in the state have caused six hospitals to close in the past year and a half, and many more operate with a reduced number of departments working.
Though there is much blame to go around for the state of NJ's healthcare, no one reason can account for the problem. Some believe the abundance of ambulatory centers have lured away hospitals' patients who can afford their care. The number of uninsured residents is only going to grow in the coming months and years, and as it stands, many hospitals that are closing are located in areas in which the uninsured live, says the article.
To read the story, click here.
