And we will. But I want to do more. I believe we also have to do all we can to protect New Jersey patients, and make sure we never have to ask doctors and hospitals to make that kind of sacrifice again. We've strengthened our HMO regulations covering financial requirements, and I've signed legislation that requires the licensing of any subcontractor that accepts risk. We're also tackling the problem of slow payment by insurers and HMOs.
Slow payment deprives doctors and hospitals of needed income.
It could also be a red flag that alerts us to management or financial problems. Slow payment issues often can be resolved, but the trick is knowing what to do and whom to call. To make sure everyone is on the same page, I've directed the Departments of Banking and Insurance and Health and Senior Services to draft rules requiring that all insurers create a process for resolving late payment disputes and spell out that process in their contracts with doctors and hospitals. This way, when there is a dispute, doctors, hospital administrators, and insurers will be clear on how to resolve it. That should eliminate a lot of confusion and delay.