17 New Jersey Hospitals Get $36.4M To Improve Patient Care

New Jersey hospitals are getting $36.4 million in Medicare funds that officials say will benefit patient care, pay for doctors and improve care for seniors.

The federal government has decided to provide more money to New Jersey hospitals that were unable to benefit from several Medicare policies that help rural states (see list below).

New Jersey is one of only three states in the nation deemed to be “all urban” under Medicare’s wage payment policy. The additional funding, however, allows New Jersey’s hospitals to effectively compete for the highest quality health care talent available by providing equity with rural states, according to Rep. Tom MacArthur, a Republican from Burlington.

MacArthur urged for the extension as part of a bipartisan effort along with Democratic U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from Passaic, and Frank LoBiondo, a Democrat from Atlantic.

"The extension of the imputed rural floor is a huge win for New Jersey. This extension will bring millions of dollars to our state and will help our hospitals continue to provide quality care for the most vulnerable New Jerseyans,” said MacArthur.

“This was a priority for New Jersey and a priority for me, which is why I fought hard for this over the last few months. I am proud to have led our delegation, along with Senators Menendez and Booker, and Representatives LoBiondo and Pascrell, in calling for this vital extension, and I appreciate the Trump Administration for granting it."

Betsy Ryan, CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association, shared her gratitude to the members of the New Jersey delegation "who joined together in a bipartisan fashion to extend the imputed floor for New Jersey hospitals and patients."

The following New Jersey hospitals are expected to benefit from a combined $36.4 million in additional Medicare funds:

• Cape Regional Medical Center (Cape May Court House)
• Capital Health Medical Center (Hopewell-Pennington)
• Cooper Hospital (Camden)
• Deborah Heart and Lung Center (Browns Mills)
• Hackettstown Regional Medical Center
• Inspira Medical Center (Elmer)
• Inspira Medical Center (Vineland)
• Inspira Medical Center (Woodbury)
• Kennedy University Hospital (Cherry Hill)
• Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County (Willingboro)
• Memorial Hospital of Salem County, Inc. (Woodstown)
• Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center (Camden)
• RWJ University Hospital (Hamilton)
• St. Francis Medical Center (Trenton)
• St. Luke's Warren Hospital (Phillipsburg)
• Virtua Hospital (Voorhees)
• Virtua Memorial Hospital (Mt. Holly)

Patch file photo