SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 31
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED JANUARY 29, 1996
By Senator BASSANO
A Concurrent Resolution establishing the “New Jersey Legislative Commission on Health Care Financing.”
WHEREAS, The State should take all necessary and appropriate actions to ensure the provision of high quality and cost-effective health care services to its citizens; and
WHEREAS, There are more than 800,000 residents of this State without health insurance coverage to protect themselves and their families against the soaring costs of health care services; and
WHEREAS, Hospital costs in New Jersey have continued to increase rapidly despite the financial incentives provided by the DRG hospital rate-setting system for the efficient use of hospital resources; and
WHEREAS, The business community and health insurers are increasingly concerned about funding uncompensated hospital care as a result of the growing financial burden imposed upon them by ever increasing hospital reimbursement rates; and
WHEREAS, All of the interested parties, including providers, insurers, employers, labor and health care consumers, are calling for significant action to control health care costs and, at the same time, make health care more accessible; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature and other interested parties have an obligation to address the various aspects of the health care financing crisis in this State in a comprehensive manner as soon as possible, and to point the way towards cost-effective and equitable strategies to ensure quality, affordable health care services for all New Jerseyans; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. There is established the "New Jersey Legislative Commission on Health Care Financing." The purpose of the commission is to study health care financing issues in this State, with primary emphasis on the problem of inadequate and unaffordable health insurance coverage among the citizens of this State. The commission shall review the issues concerning health care financing in the State and develop recommendations regarding the most effective means to address these issues.
The commission shall present a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than six months after the organization of the commission.
2. The commission shall consist of 24 members as follows:
a. To be appointed by the President of the Senate;
(1) Two members of the Senate, no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; and
(2) Ten public members as follows: one physician, one registered nurse, one hospital administrator, one health insurance company representative, one health maintenance organization representative, one attorney with a professional background in health care law, one representative of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, one representative of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, one representative of the National Federation of Independent Business and one representative of organized labor.
b. To be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;
(1) Two members of the General Assembly, no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; and
(2) Ten public members as follows: one physician, one registered nurse, one hospital administrator, one health insurance company representative, one health maintenance organization representative, one attorney with a professional background in health care law, one representative of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, one representative of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, one representative of the National Federation of Independent Business and one representative of organized labor.
The commission shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman from among its public members and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
3. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the commission for its purposes.
4. The commission shall be entitled to call upon the services of any State, county or municipal department, board, commission or agency, as may be available to it for these purposes, and to incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary for the proper execution of its duties and as may be within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for these purposes.
5. The commission may meet and hold hearings at such places as it shall designate during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.
6. The commission shall expire upon the issuance of its report.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution establishes a 24-member "New Jersey Legislative Commission on Health Care Financing." The commission is to study health care financing issues in this State, with primary emphasis on the problem of inadequate and unaffordable health insurance coverage among the citizens of this State. The commission is directed to present a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than six months after the organization of the commission.
The members of the commission will include two Senators and two Assemblymen and 20 public members, ten of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and ten of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. The public members shall include: two physicians, two registered nurses, two hospital administrators, two health insurance company representatives, two health maintenance organization representatives, two attorneys with a professional background in health care law, two representatives of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, two representatives of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, two representatives of the National Federation of Independent Business and two representatives of organized labor.
Establishes "New Jersey Legislative Commission on Health Care Financing."