26:2H-18.55. Duties of commissioner

5. The commissioner shall:

a. Administer the fund and establish a mechanism to allocate monies received from the Commissioner of Labor pursuant to section 29 of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.43:21-7b) to the appropriate accounts in the fund as specified in this act;

b. Establish eligibility determination and claims pricing systems for the charity care component of the disproportionate share subsidy, including the development of uniform forms for determining eligibility and submitting claims. The commissioner may contract with a private claims administrator or processor for the purpose of processing hospital claims for charity care pursuant to this act;

c. Establish and implement by January 1, 1997, a schedule of payments for reimbursement of the charity care component of the disproportionate share payment for services provided to emergency room patients who do not require those services on an emergency basis;

d. In cooperation with the Departments of Insurance and Human Services, develop and provide for the implementation of the Health Access New Jersey program pursuant to section 15 of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.26:2H-18.65);

e. Study and, if feasible, establish hospital cost and outcome reports to provide assistance to consumers of health care in this State in making prudent health care choices;

f. Compile demographic information on recipients of, and types of services paid for by, the charity care component of the disproportionate share payment and periodically report a summary of this information to the Governor and Legislature. The demographic information shall include, at a minimum, the recipient's age, sex, marital status, employment status, type of health insurance coverage, if any, and if the recipient is a child under 18 years of age who does not have health insurance coverage or a married person who does not have health insurance coverage, whether the child's parent or the married person's spouse, as the case may be, has health insurance;

g. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

h. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

i. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

j. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

k. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

l. Encourage the use of centralized data storage and transmission technology that utilizes personal and image identification systems as well as identity verification technology for the purposes of enabling a hospital to access medical history, insurance information and other personal information, as appropriate;

m. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

n. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1995, c.133.)

o. Take such other actions as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.26:2H-18.51 et al.); and

p. Report annually, by December 1 of each year, to the Governor and the Senate and General Assembly standing reference committees on budget and appropriations on the status of the fund.

L.1992,c.160,s.5; amended 1995, c.133, s.2; 1996,c.28,s.2..