HPAE Applauds the Restoration of Healthcare Funding in FY2021 NJ budget

HPAE and its more than 14,000 members commend our public officials—including Gov. Phil Murphy and our Legislative leadership—for approving New Jersey’s Fiscal Year 2021 funding priorities. The new budget balances the realities of the economic challenges wrought by a global pandemic and the healthcare needs of communities still grappling with all its ramifications.

We are especially gratified that the new budget reaffirmed support for:

• Continued funding for public health services through Charity Care for all hospital and additional funding to support NJ’s only public hospital, University Hospital in Newark.
• Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, and its behavioral healthcare centers in Newark and Piscataway, the School of Biomedical Health and Sciences and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

During these challenging times, the passage of a budget which includes a millionaire’s tax allows for a shift towards greater tax fairness in New Jersey. These are not normal times and we are delighted to see that the Senate and Assembly Leadership working with the Governor, have increased revenues for healthcare services that residents have relied upon throughout this pandemic. This budget does not raise revenue on the backs of working families but, instead, calls on those who have profited the most to pay their fair share to support our state.

Our union brothers and sisters and other essential workers are real-life heroes on the front lines in this COVID-19 pandemic and we are grateful for the continued investment in healthcare.

Debbie White, RN
HPAE President

For more information, please contact: Michael Allen: (646) 436-7556, mallen@hpae.org