The Healthcare Finance Enhancement Act introduces significant amendments to the operation and licensing of health care services and facilities in New Jersey. A notable provision exempts surgical practices that are required to be licensed as ambulatory care facilities from the ambulatory care facility assessment until State Fiscal Year 2025, after which they will incur a charge of $12.50 per adjusted admission. The bill also mandates that the Department of Health post inspection reports for residential health care facilities online within 72 hours of an inspection, including any serious health and safety violations, and requires notification to relevant authorities regarding these violations. Additionally, the licensing process for health care facilities is modified to ensure thorough evaluations by the Department of Health before licenses are issued.

The bill further revises the assessment structure for ambulatory care facilities, reducing the assessment rate on gross receipts from 2.95 percent to 2.5 percent starting in fiscal year 2026, while expanding the assessment to include all ambulatory care facilities beginning in fiscal year 2027. It also removes the exemption for surgical practices from the ambulatory care facility assessment starting in fiscal year 2026. Furthermore, the per adjusted admission charge for hospitals is increased from $10 to $12.50, effective July 1, 2025, and this charge is extended to non-public psychiatric hospitals. These changes aim to enhance funding for health care services and ensure a broader range of facilities contribute to the Health Care Subsidy Fund, thereby improving accountability and transparency in health care delivery.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 26:2H-12, 26:2H-18.57