State Senator Angela McKnight (D-31) will host a Healthcare Accountability Town Hall in Jersey City next week with Mayor James Solomon, along with Assembly members Katie Brennan (D-32), Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-16), and Chigozie Onyema (D-28).
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Access to affordable healthcare is a basic human right. Healthcare providers should be working with their communities, and their representatives, to make that a reality, ” McKnight said in a statement.
“It’s not fair for prices to go up and up because of games being played by corporations. It’s crucial we come together to address Jersey City’s healthcare crisis and the broader healthcare affordability crisis.”
The Hospital Accountability Town Hall will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 8th at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center, located at140 Martin Luther King Drive. Anyone interested in attending can RSVP here.
In addition to giving residents an opportunity to testify about their experiences with high healthcare costs, McKnight will provide an overview of the Health Care Accountability Law currently moving through the legislature.
She feels this would bring greater transparency, accountability and affordability to the healthcare industry.
” … State action is long overdue to rein in high and rising healthcare costs and provide relief to local governments, taxpayers and small employers,” noted Solomon.
“I look forward to this meaningful conversation which will help raise awareness for the possible solutions to New Jersey’s healthcare affordability crisis.”
The conversation takes place just under three months after Hudson Regional Health closed Heights University Hospital and the Jersey City Council shortly thereafter approved a resolution seeking to explore the possibility of eminent domain, both as HCV first reported.
“Hospital prices remain the number one driver of high and rising healthcare costs and without accountability those prices will only continue to climb,” noted Reynolds Jackson, a congressional candidate in the 12th District in today’s primary
. “That is why I am pushing for stronger enforcement tools so the state can hold providers accountable to doing their part to bring down healthcare costs across the board. We must take action to address New Jersey’s healthcare affordability crisis and begin to bring transparency and accountability to this opaque industry.”
While the New Jersey Department of Health planned to host a hearing at Dickinson High School in April, in was cancelled in the 11th hour after a judge approved a court-injunction indicating that their couldn’t be such a meeting since the hospital withdrew their certificate of need.
A subsequent impromptu town hall hosted by city officials had dozens of residents express their anger over their situation.
“ .. For 32BJ, nearly 40 cents of every dollar won at the bargaining table goes towards member health benefits. When we talk about the affordability crisis and we talk about income inequality, we have to talk about what is stagnating wage growth and healthcare is a big piece of that puzzle,” declared New Jersey State Director at 32BJ SEIU Ana Maria Hill.
“With the closure of Christ Hospital in the Heights, the need for access to affordable healthcare has never been more urgent. This town hall will provide a crucial platform for residents to express their frustrations and engage in meaningful dialogue about how we can work together to repair this broken system,” Brennan added.
