VITALE STATEMENT ON HEALTH CARE REFORM PLAN APPROVAL BY BUDGET PANEL

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the author of S-1557 – legislation which would expand FamilyCare for more low-income parents, ensure affordable health care for all New Jersey children, and make various reforms to the individual and small business health insurance markets – issued the following statement after the bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today:

“I applaud Governor Corzine and my legislative colleagues for having the foresight to include a much-needed health care system overhaul in plans for the FY 2009 Budget. While I recognize that we’ve had to make some difficult choices about the priorities of the State in crafting this year’s spending plan, I’m thankful that New Jersey’s leaders have shown the courage to try to fix a health care system which is broken and desperately in need of repair.

VITALE BILL TO PREVENT AGAINST COUNTERFEIT TOBACCO TAX STAMPS ADVANCES

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would direct the Division of Treasury to look at a more secure cigarette tax stamp to prevent counterfeiting was approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee by a vote of 13-1.

“New Jersey loses out on millions of dollars in tax revenue each year to counterfeit tobacco stamps,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and the Chair of the Committee. “As we try to come to grips with chronic budgetary gaps and put New Jersey back on sure financial footing, we cannot leave millions of dollars in existing tax revenue on the table. We need to make the most of our State’s revenue sources, and that means making it harder for tax cheats to scam the system.”

VITALE ‘HEALTH CARE STABILIZATION FUND ACT’ APPROVED BY BUDGET COMMITTEE

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would establish the Health Care Stabilization Fund to provide grants to general hospitals and other health care facilities to ensure access to health care services in a community served by a hospital facing closure was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today by a vote of 9-5.

“For so many uninsured New Jerseyans, hospitals are the frontline in health care access,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “But due to the skyrocketing cost of care and other financial factors, we’ve seen many hospitals, unable to remain economically solvent, closing down in areas where they’re needed most. The Department of Health needs some emergency mechanism to ensure that residents are not put in jeopardy when their local health care facility files for closure.”

VITALE BILL TO PREVENT AGAINST COUNTERFEIT TOBACCO TAX STAMPS APPROVED

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require a more secure cigarette tax stamp to prevent counterfeiting was unanimously approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.

“Every year in New Jersey, counterfeit cigarette tax stamps account for hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and the Chair of the Committee. “We need to step up our State’s anti-counterfeiting measures, to make sure that people are meeting their legally-binding tax responsibility. We cannot cede millions of dollars in revenue because our anti-counterfeiting technology is severely behind the times.”

VITALE BILL TO PROTECT SENIORS FROM RENT INCREASES ADVANCES

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would remove an exemption in local rent control to protect senior tenants was approved by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee today by a vote of 3-2.

“Rent control is a valuable tool to keep New Jersey affordable for those who rent their homes,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “However, under existing State law, many newly constructed apartments fall into an exemption from local rent control rules, and can raise rental rates with little concern for the tenants. This is particularly difficult on seniors on fixed incomes, who struggle every day to balance their expenses and meet New Jersey’s high-cost of living.”

VITALE RESOLUTION RAISES AWARENESS OF DANGERS OF DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS

TRENTON – A resolution sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would declare March of every year as “Deep-Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month” in New Jersey was unanimously approved by the Senate today.

“DVT (Deep-Vein Thrombosis) is the most serious form of hospital death that many people have never even heard of,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “It’s an entirely preventable disease, but all too often people don’t know that they’re at risk, and don’t seek medical attention to prevent a life-threatening complication. We need to do more to get the word out about DVT, and ensure that New Jersey’s residents know the dangers and treatments for the disease.”

VITALE BILL TO BAN SALE OF FLAVORED CIGARETTES ADVANCES IN ASSEMBLY

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would prohibit the sale of certain flavored cigarettes in the State of New Jersey was approved by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee today by a vote of 10-0, with 1 abstention.

“Flavored cigarettes are a clear and apparent marketing ploy to attract younger generations to tobacco,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “This is no better than the use of colorful mascots or ad campaigns designed to appeal to kids which have historically been used by tobacco companies to recruit new customers. Given our State’s investment in smoking cessation programs and the harmful health effects of smoking which are paid for in our State’s health care system, we need to take a stand against this insidious marketing measure.”

VITALE PHASE 1 HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL APPROVED BY BUDGET COMMITTEE

Bill Would Expand NJ FamilyCare, Set Stage for Affordable Health Care for All New Jerseyans

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the author of a health care reform plan to make health coverage affordable for all New Jersey residents issued the following statement regarding the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee’s unanimous approval of the first phase of his plan, which would expand eligibility and outreach for NJ FamilyCare and enact market-level reforms, with an eye towards affordability for policy holders, on the individual and small group health insurance markets:

“Today’s Budget Committee approval was a strong statement on the feasibility of transformational health care reform in the State of New Jersey. At a time when the Budget Committee is grappling with a substantial fiscal shortfall in State finances, the fact that Committee members would lend their support to this measure speaks volumes on the priorities we hold dear in the Garden State.

VITALE FAMILY CARE EXPANSION BILL APPROVED IN COMMITTEE

Measure Would Set Stage for Affordable Health Care for All New Jersey Residents

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would expand eligibility and outreach of New Jersey FamilyCare in order to set the stage for affordable health care for all New Jersey residents was unanimously approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.

“New Jersey is in the midst of a health care crisis, and the skyrocketing cost of care is driving more residents to neglect their health in order to meet other basic human needs,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chair of the Senate Health Committee. “No one should have to choose between food, shelter and health care, particularly when nearly six hundred people die every year because they’re uninsured. We make a substantial investment in health care for the uninsured already, and we need to seek a better, more efficient and more effective model to provide preemptive care to those in need.”

HOSPITAL GOVERNANCE MEASURES APPROVED BY HEALTH COMMITTEE

Bills Part of Rationalization in Health Care Resources Recommendations

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by members of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee which would address hospital governance in an attempt to keep hospitals competitive in New Jersey was unanimously approved by the Health Committee today.

“These bills are part of the recommendations set forth by the Reinhardt Commission to Rationalize Health Care Resources in New Jersey,” said Senate Health Committee Chair, Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex. “We spend billions every year to support health care around the State, and we must ensure that we’re spending our health care dollars wisely and efficiently. We need to make sure we’re getting the biggest bang for our buck, and I applaud my Committee members for stepping up to work to fix the problems many hospitals are facing around the Garden State.”