Budget invests $705M in health care

Governor Chris Christie’s fiscal year 2018 budget invests $705.1 million in New Jersey’s healthcare system including support for charity care, medical education and quality improvement.
The proposed budget includes $252 million for charity care, $166.6 million for the hospital incentive program known as Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP), $218 million for Graduate Medical Education (GME), a $30 million increase from last year’s budget to support our teaching hospitals; $43.8 million for University Hospital and $24.7 million for Hospital Mental Health Offset Payments.
“Increasing GME will ensure that New Jersey residents have continued access to well-trained doctors and encourage those doctors to develop roots and make New Jersey their permanent homes,” Christie said during his Budget Message on Feb. 28.
All 43 hospitals with teaching programs for interns and residents will benefit from the GME program. The Christie administration has increased funding for the GME program by $158 million since 2010.
“This proposed funding furthers the state’s investment in a strong healthcare workforce and healthcare quality and reflects the Governor's ongoing commitment to the growth of New Jersey's medical schools and the expansion of hospital-based teaching programs,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett. “This budget also recognizes that documented charity care to the uninsured at our hospitals declined by 53 percent over a two-year period, but continues to provide support for this care. In addition, the increase in GME reflects the Governor's ongoing commitment to the growth of New Jersey's medical schools and the expansion of hospital-based teaching programs.”
GME distribution information is preliminary and subject to final hospital data submission.