Stanfield Bill moves forward, helping veterans access the care they need

Sen. Jean Stanfield’s legislation to help struggling New Jersey veterans get the psychiatric care they need was approved today by the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.

Stanfield’s bill, S-2558would make it easier for veterans to qualify for assistance with treatment costs by excluding the veterans benefits they receive from the calculations to determine their personal payment obligations.

“Nearly 400,000 veterans receiving military disability benefits, pensions and other benefits make their home here in New Jersey,” Stanfield (R-8) said. “It is estimated that 5% of them live in poverty and more than 550 are homeless. On top of that, thousands of people live with service-related challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

“This is unacceptable. Well-deserved military benefits should not be a barrier to help,” Stanfield said. ways to pay them.

Under current law, an adult with mental illness would be responsible for the full cost of treatment and all related hospitalization expenses until it is determined that they are ineligible for – or exhausted – third-party insurance benefits or Medical Assistance Program coverage. The rest of the bill will be offset according to a rolling fee scale established for charitable care. Military benefits are included in the calculation to determine an individual’s personal liability.

“We want to make sure our veterans can receive the treatment and care they’ve earned serving in our armed forces,” Stanfield said. “They never give up on our nation, and New Jersey can’t give up on them now.”