Jon S. Corzine: “As my colleague, Senator Torricelli, has noted, last fall health care providers in New Jersey responded quickly…”

“As my colleague, Senator Torricelli, has noted, last fall health care providers in New Jersey responded quickly, effectively and responsibly to the anthrax crisis in New Jersey, yet they have not been reimbursed for the care they provided. Failure to reimburse these very real costs places a significant burden on these providers. Failure to reimburse is troubling because in many cases the Postal Service directed its employees to these hospitals for care. For example, the Postal Service instructed employees to report to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton for anthrax testing. As a result, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital ultimately incurred $651,500 in costs for treating 1,400 postal service employees and dispensing over 3,500 prescriptions for antibiotics. Seven months later, the Postal Service has not reimbursed Robert Wood Johnson for the lifesaving health care it provided. Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that the committee believes that the Postal Service has received adequate funding to address the anthrax crisis and that the Postal Service is encouraged to meet its obligations to New Jersey health care providers.”