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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey establishes $950 daily minimum Medicaid rate for pediatric special care nursing facilities and appropriates funds
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health CommitteeSponsor: Auth, Robert
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What This Bill Would Do
The State of New Jersey requires the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services to pay participating pediatric special care nursing facilities a base Medicaid and FamilyCare reimbursement rate of at least $950 per day. The measure appropriates unspecified sums from the General Fund to cover the costs and takes effect on the first day of the second month following enactment.
Qualifying long-term care facilities serving medically fragile children up to age 21 receive a guaranteed daily floor of $950 per patient, backed by state appropriations from the General Fund.
- New Jersey operates Medicaid and FamilyCare programs to provide health coverage and long-term care services to eligible low-income residents and individuals with special needs. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Pediatric skilled care nursing facilities
Eligible facilities receive a guaranteed base reimbursement rate of no less than $950.00 per day under Medicaid and FamilyCare.
Medicaid and FamilyCare enrollees up to 21 years of age
Enrollees requiring specialized nursing facility services receive care backed by mandated minimum facility funding.
Department of Human Services
The department and its division must establish the new reimbursement rates, adopt rules, apply for waivers, and disburse appropriated funds.
Key Facts
- The Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services must reimburse participating pediatric skilled care nursing facilities at a base rate of no less than $950.00 per day.
- Facilities must comply with State and federal laws and regulations concerning licensure, patient safety, and quality of care to receive the minimum rate.
- Eligible facilities care for New Jersey Medicaid and FamilyCare enrollees up to 21 years of age who require specialized nursing facility services beyond conventional care.
- The Commissioner of Human Services must adopt necessary rules and regulations and apply for required State plan amendments or waivers.
Show all 6 facts
- The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such sums as are necessary to implement the act.
- New Jersey currently has four participating pediatric special care nursing facilities across locations including Mountainside, Toms River, Haskell, and Voorhees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to receive care under this specialized nursing facility rate?
Which state department is responsible for implementing the reimbursement rate?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Closing Reimbursement Gaps
The sponsor intends to close a 63.5 percent gap between the highest and lowest reimbursed pediatric special care nursing facilities in the state.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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