Prieto: Governor’s Must Finally Support Access to Quality Health Care for Working Class Families

(TRENTON) – Assembly Budget Chairman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen) released the following statement Wednesday after the Assembly Budget Committee heard from the Department of Health and Senior Services:

“The department claims one of its main goals is to optimize access to the highest quality health care for the people of New Jersey, but unfortunately the governor’s record sadly says otherwise.

“Millionaires have zealously had their tax breaks protected by this governor, but New Jerseyans struggling to make ends meet have watched as the governor:

·         Eliminated funding for family planning;

·         Froze FamilyCare enrollment for adults;

·         Reduced personal care attendant reimbursement rates;

·         Increased co-payments for Early Intervention Services;

·         Reduced funding for cancer research;

·         Eliminated funding for the Rapid AIDS test;

·         Reduced reimbursement to nursing homes;

·         Reduced reimbursement to Special Care Nursing Facilities; and

·         Reduced reimbursement rates for Federally Qualified Health Centers.

“Clearly, optimizing access to quality health care for working class residents is not a priority of this governor. I thank the commissioner for testifying today, but the governor’s poor record when it comes to providing access to quality health care sadly speaks for itself. It’s even worse when you consider these are the same families who have endured the net 20 percent property tax hike realized under this governor.

“It’s time for the governor to change course and finally support access to quality health care for working class families.”