New Jersey’s largest healthcare network announced today that it is waiving co-pays and deductibles for emergency visits at all network hospitals and urgent care centers for furloughed federal employees and their insured family members.
“We have seen the financial impact the federal government shut down has had on many families and we want to ensure that people will receive the care they need without worrying about the cost,’’ said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.
“We believe that we need to step forward and do our part to help furloughed federal employees and their families,’’ Garrett said.
The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders is inviting local charities to apply to be beneficiaries of the New Jersey Employee Charitable Campaign, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone announced this afternoon.
“Independent charitable organizations are invited to join the County’s annual charitable campaign,” said Director Arnone, the Monmouth County 2019/2020 campaign chairman. “We know that there are many local not-for-profit organizations in our community doing phenomenal work that may not know about this fundraising opportunity. This is a chance for local charities to connect with public employees here in Monmouth County.”
In 2018, public employees in Monmouth County and its partners throughout the state donated over $747,000 to support the work of more than 800 charitable organizations.
In a rare public disagreement among Monmouth County Republicans, Sheriff Shaun Golden, the Party Chairman, slammed Senator Declan O’Scanlon’s effort to win fiscal and public safety reforms from Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney in exchange for three Republican votes in the Senate to legalize recreational marijuana.
Golden took to twitter last night, calling the the proposal “typical Trenton”
Three Republican State Senators, including Monmouth County’s Declan O’Scanlon are willing to vote to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey if Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney deliver the return of the Energy Receipts Tax to municipalities, a dedicated 911 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund, funding for addiction recovery services and a guaranteed reimbursement fund for municipalities paying to train police officers as Drug Recognition Experts who can assess if a driver is impaired by cannabis, according to an article on NJ.com
George Gilmore, the Ocean County Republican Chairman and Board of Elections Chairman who was indicted on federal tax evasion and bank fraud charges last week, didn’t pay his taxes and omitted tax debt from a loan application because he has a hoarding disorder, his lawyer told the Asbury Park Press.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office was aware of Gilmore’s disability before it sought an indictment, his lawyer, Kevin Marino told app.
Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
OceanFirst Bank N.A. is offering a forbearance or temporary suspension of mortgage and home equity loan payments for up to 90 days to its customers who work for the federal government or businesses affected by the government shutdown, the bank announced last week.
“As a community bank, OceanFirst wants to provide support to every mortgage customer who works for the federal government or businesses that are affected by the current shutdown,” said Anthony Giordano, III, OceanFirst Bank’s Senior Vice President and Senior Operations Officer. “We recognize these are stressful times for these customers, many of whom are worried about meeting their mortgage and other financial obligations, especially if there is a prolonged shutdown. By offering the Mortgage Relief Program, we hope we can ease any concerns relating to their mortgage or home equity loan until they get back to work and are paid.”
