NJ Health Care Workers Partnership
New Jersey Health Care Workers Partnership for Quality Long Term Care
In February 2003, Sellers Dorsey (formerly Sellers Feinberg) was hired by the New Jersey Health Care Workers Partnership for Quality Long Term Care, a labor-management coalition made up of major for-profit nursing home providers in New Jersey and the labor union which represents their employees.
In July of 2003, at the urging of the Partnership, the New Jersey State Legislature passed, and Governor McGreevey signed into law, a nursing home provider assessment set to generate $150 million annually in receipts, with most of the funds being used as state share to make increased Medicaid payments to providers. This legislative victory capped more than a year of efforts on the part of the corporate members of the Partnership and the union to improve nursing home reimbursement in New Jersey. Throughout the legislative process, the Partnership relied on Sellers Dorsey to model various possible assessments in order to determine the number and scope of facilities that were “winners” and “losers”, to assist in the drafting of the legislation, and to outreach to industry and political leaders in support of the assessment. The Partnership then looked to Sellers Dorsey for strategic and political support in the campaign to win federal approval, and to encourage New Jersey state officials to energetically lobby CMS on behalf of the assessment.
New Jersey officials submitted a state plan amendment to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in August of 2003, which started a lengthy federal approval process. On behalf of the Partnership, Sellers Dorsey assisted state officials prepare materials for CMS, as well as answer CMS questions and concerns. The firm also kept state officials and the Partnership apprised of CMS actions in other states that were seeking to implement nursing home provider assessments. With the assistance of Sellers Dorsey, the state’s implementing legislation was modified in the Summer of 2004 to take into account CMS objections. In February 2005, state officials received CMS approval. Sellers Dorsey is pleased to have been a part of this important win-win solution to a funding crisis in the State of New Jersey.