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NEW JERSEY HEALTH CARE (directly below, followed by NATIONAL HEALTH CARE)

New Jersey Health Insurance Exchange
Citizen Action's New Consumer Health Helpline
New Payment Reform Principles
New Report Demonstrates How the Affordable Care Act Will Benefit NJ's Working Families
NJCA's Community Petition Drive in Jersey City to Help Save Christ Hospital
National Health Care Reform — Making It Work for New Jersey
NJ For Health Care Opposes Governor Christie's Cuts to FamilyCare and Charity Care
New Jersey's Under 31 Insurance Law
NJ Main Street Alliance
Support Children's Health Insurance — SCHIP

Recent Event Highlights

NJCA in the News

"New Jersey Citizen Action Special Award To Paul Bellon Boyer, Save Christ Hospital Coalition" (Health Professionals and Allied Employees News – May 14, 2012)

"Christie Nixes Health Exchange Bill" (Politico – May 10, 2012)

"Business Community Split On Christie's Veto Of Health Exchanges" (NJBIZ – May 10, 2012)

"New Jersey To Gain Nonprofit Health Insurance Company" (NJ Spotlight – May 7, 2012)

"Recent ACA-based Planning And Legislation In New Jersey" (Moorestown Sun – April 3, 2012)

"Celebrating The Affordable Care Act At Hat City Kitchen" (South Orange Patch – March 27, 2012)

"New Jersey Health Exchange Bill Is On Its Way To The Governor's Desk" (NJ Spotlight – March 16, 2012)

"Decision Time: Health Insurance Exchange Act Comes Up for Vote" (NJ Spotlight – March 14, 2012)

"N.J. Readies Vote On Health Insurance Market As White House Unveils Exchange Blueprint" (New Jersey Policy Perspective – March 13, 2012)

"N.J. Lawmakers Pushed On Setting Up Health Insurance Exchange" (Newsworks – March 13, 2012)

"N.J. Readies Vote On Health Insurance Market As White House Unveils Exchange Blueprint" (NorthJersey.com – March 13, 2012)

MEDIA ADVISORY: NJ Consumer Health Care Advocates to Hold Press Conference in Support of New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange Act — March 12, 2012

"Bill Seeks Financial Transparency For All NJ Hospitals" (NJ Spotlight – March 9, 2012)

"NJ Poised To Vote On Health Insurance Exchange" (New Jersey Policy Perspective – March 1, 2012)

"New Jersey Citizen Action Supports 'The New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange Act'" (Small Business Owners – March 1, 2012)

"NJ Poised To Vote On Health Insurance Exchange" (NJ Spotlight – February 28, 2012)

"What Obamacare Means For New Jersey" (U.S.1 – February 22, 2012)

"Protect Consumers! Take Action and Defend the New Jersey Health Benefits Exchange Act!" (BlueWaveNJ – February 21, 2012)

"Pallone Visits Drug Plant in Support of Pending Generics Legislation" (New Brunswick Patch – February 14, 2012)

"Pallone Visits Pharmaceutical Company To Highlight Legislation To Bring Low-Cost Generic Drugs To Market Faster" (MyCentralJersey.com – February 13, 2012)

"Is Christ Hospital Still For Sale?" (The Hudson Reporter – February 12, 2012)

"Closer To A Health Exchange In New Jersey" (Newsworks – February 8, 2012)

"Hospital's Bankruptcy Stokes Talks On Merger In Hudson County" (NJ Spotlight – February 8, 2012)

"Assembly Panel Moves Forward With Key Component Of Health Care Reform" (phillyBurbs.com – February 7, 2012)

"Assembly Committee Clears Health Insurance Exchange Bill" (NJ Spotlight – February 7, 2012)

"Christie Calls For Restructuring Of Research Universities" (NJ Spotlight – January 26 2012)

"Jersey City Neighborhood Associations Form 'Community Oversight Board' To Monitor Christ Hospital Sale" (The Hudson Reporter – January 24, 2012)

"Countdown To NJ's Health Insurance Exchange" (NJ Spotlight – January 3, 2012)

"CEO Says Jersey City Hospital's Survival Dependent On Sale To California Company" (The Jersey Journal – November 20, 2011)

"New Jersey Citizen Action Working to Halt Sale of Christ Hospital" (The Jersey City Independent – November 18, 2011)

"New Jersey Citizen Action Circulates Petition Re Christ Hospital" (The Hudson Reporter – November 17, 2011)

"Money Flows To GOP From NJ Spine Doctors" (Daily Record – October 22, 2011)

"Taking The First Steps Toward A New Jersey Health Exchange" (NJ Spotlight – September 15, 2011)

"Good Buy, Health Care?" (Hudson Reporter – August 7, 2011)

"Christie-Sweeney Plan Is Bad Policy" (The Record / NorthJersey.com – July 3, 2011)

"New State Health Care Deal Could Cost You More" (Home News Tribune / MyCentralJersey.com – June 24, 2011)

"Christie-Sweeney Plan For N.J. Public Worker Health Care Unfairly Bypasses Collective Bargaining" (The Times of Trenton – June 21, 2011)

"Mandate In Benefits Bill Draws Democratic Attack " (Star-Ledger – June 17, 2011)

"New Jersey Seeks To Shrink Medicaid" (NPR – June 7, 2011 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)

"Health Insurance Rates Continue Climbing, And Companies Look For Savings To Offer Customers" (Star-Ledger – June 1, 2011)

"$103 A Week Would Be Too Much To Get Medicaid" (Star-Ledger – May 19, 2011)

"Christie Rapped Over Plan To Cut Health Insurance Program" (Newsworks – May 12, 2011)

"N.J. Plans To Seek Federal Approval To Reduce Parent Eligibility For FamilyCare Health Insurance" (Star-Ledger – April 29, 2011)

"New Report Demonstrates How The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act (ACA) Will Benefit New Jersey's Working Familiesr" (New Jersey Policy Perspective – March 17, 2011)

"New Jersey Hospital Association Opposes Bill That Would Force Non-Profit Hospitals To Reveal Finances" (The Jersey Journal – March 14, 2011)

"Better Care at Lower Cost for Low-Income Patients" (National Partnership for Women & Families – March 11, 2011)

"Impact Of Cuts Proposed For Medicaid In N.J. Is Unclear" (New Jersey Policy Perspective – February 28, 2011)

"Medicaid Cuts Crucial Part Of NJ Budget" (MyCentralJersey.com – February 26, 2011)

"Christie's Budget Plan: How Painful?" (Philadelphia Inquirer – February 20, 2011)

"N.J.'s Poorest Residents Fear Christie Budget Will Cut Medicaid Funds" (Star-Ledger – February 17, 2011)

"Challenging N.J. FamilyCare In Court" (Newsworks – February 8, 2011)

"Why Cuts to NJ FamilyCare is Wrong for New Jersey" (WBAI Evening News — February 7, 2011 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)

"NJHA Shares Best Practices With Community Organization Program" (New Jersey Hospital Association – November 22, 2010)

"Profits And People — What Does The Impending Sale Of Meadowlands Hospital Mean For Patients?" (Hudson Reporter – October 17, 2010)

"Rally At 6-Month Anniversary Of Health Care Law" (WBAI Evening News – September 23, 2010 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)

"Six-Month Anniversary Of U.S. Health Care Law Ushers In New Benefits" (Star-Ledger – September 23, 2010)

"Students Celebrate Health Care Legislation" (Daily Targum – September 23, 2010)

"Health Care Labor Union, Prospective Meadowlands Hospital Buyer Reach Tentative Agreement" (The Jersey Journal – September 16, 2010)

"Sale Of Hospital To For-Profit Rankles Workers About Future " (The Jersey Journal – August 28, 2010)

"Meadowlands Hospital Sale Draws Public Worries About Continuing Acute Care" (The Record / NorthJersey.com – August 27, 2010)

"Monitoring New Jersey's Progress On Federal Healthcare Reform" (NJ Spotlight – July 15, 2010)

"Young Adults Get Big Benefit Under New Health Care Law" (The Record / NorthJersey.com – June 10, 2010)

"How Controversial Federal Healthcare Law Will Affect Garden State" (NJ Spotlight – June 9, 2010)

"Middle Class In New Jersey Becoming Uninsured Faster Than All Other Groups" (The Record / NorthJersey.com – March 18, 2010)

"Christie Budget Calls For Sacrifice" (Courier-Post — March 16, 2010)

"Budget Cuts Could Hit Low-Income New Jersey Residents" (Asbury Park Press — March 15, 2010)

"Lawmakers: Health Care Cuts Will Hurt Economy" (NJBIZ – March 8, 2010)

"Christie Pressured To Halt Funding Cuts To N.J. FamilyCare And Charity Health Care" (New Jersey Newsroom – March 8, 2010)

"Critics Warn Dropping Immigrant Health Care Coverage Could Backfire" (The Record / NorthJersey.com – March 8, 2010)

"NJ's Latest Push for Healthcare Reform" (New Jersey Now / My9News – March 7, 2010 VIDEO NEWS SEGMENT)

PRESS STATEMENT: Coalition Calls on Legislature to Stop Cuts to NJ FamilyCare and Charity Care – February 17, 2010

NOTE: Read earlier Quality Health Care For All news articles at NJCA in the News. NEW! Also read All Health Care News.

Quality Health Care for All Campaign

NEW JERSEY HEALTH CARE

New Jersey Health Insurance Exchange

What is a Health Insurance Exchange?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) makes great improvements to access and affordability in our health care system. One major way that the law does this is by establishing new state health insurance exchanges. A health insurance exchange is a virtual marketplace intended to make purchasing health insurance more transparent and affordable for consumers. An ideal health insurance exchange would create competition, transparency and accountability in the insurance market, therefore bringing down the cost of insurance premiums for consumers.

Under the ACA, states are required to establish these state level health insurance exchanges or allow the federal government to establish an exchange for their state. It is also the only provision in the law that requires states to include stakeholders in the planning process. On January 1st, 2013, all 50 states must submit a proposal for their own health insurance exchange to the federal government and by 2014 all exchanges must be implemented. So far New Jersey has received $1 million to begin planning for a New Jersey exchange. The NJ for Health Care Coalition believes that a good exchange must meet the following principles:

Principles for Establishing a Pro-Consumer NJ Health Insurance Exchange

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) greatly improves access and affordability in our health care system. State health insurance exchanges are a cornerstone of this law, providing a way to promote competition, transparency and accountability in the insurance market and bring down the cost of insurance premiums for consumers.

The new exchange must meet the following principles:

Public Interest Mission — The New Jersey Exchange should be established in the public interest, for the benefit of the people and businesses who obtain health insurance coverage for themselves, their families and their employees. It should empower consumers by giving them the information and tools they need to make sound insurance choices. The Exchange should work to reduce the number of uninsured, improve health care quality, eliminate health disparities, control costs, and ensure access to affordable, quality, accountable care across the state.
Independent Public Exchange — The Exchange should be a distinct legal public entity that is independent of other units of state government. It should be able to perform inherently governmental functions like determining income eligibility, coordinating with other state agencies and programs, and adopt rules and policies governing health insurance plan participation. The Exchange must be transparent and subject to open meetings and public disclosure laws.
Qualified, Pro-Consumer Governing Board — Consumer representatives should comprise a majority of the board. All board members must have expertise in one or more of the following areas: consumer advocacy, individual health care coverage, small employer health care coverage, health benefits plan administration and health care finance. The governing board may not include members who are affiliated with the health care industry.
Negotiate on Behalf of Consumers — The exchange must be given the authority to act as an "active purchaser." This means the Exchange should use its large pool of consumers to negotiate, as large groups do, for the best premiums and plans. The Exchange must use this leverage to demand quality, responsiveness to consumer concerns, reasonable rates, efficient plan designs, robust provider networks, and comprehensive benefits.
Full Integration with Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare — To promote seamlessness in the application process and continuity in coverage, the Exchange plans must be fully coordinated and integrated with Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare. Plans that are available in Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare must also be available in the Exchange.
Consumer Friendly — The Exchange must be easily accessible to all consumers and small businesses, use plain, easy-to-understand language, meet established standards for language, literacy and cultural competency. The Exchange must adopt a "no wrong door" approach, meaning people can access insurance through the exchange no matter how they come to seek assistance. It must reduce paperwork for individuals and small businesses, and provide in-person, telephone and online assistance and access.
Effective Outreach and Assistance — The Exchange should contract with independent organizations that will help consumers and small groups "navigate" the various health insurance plans and services offered through the Exchange. Contractors providing these navigator programs should be free of insurer conflicts of interest and have a history of working with diverse communities. The exchange must also provide customer service that understands diverse populations, such as people with disabilities, mental health needs or low-income.
One Insurance Pool — Health insurance markets work best when risk is shared across large numbers of people. The Exchange should explore how best to transition toward a unified insurance pool that combines both the individual and small employer markets. Other opportunities to expand the pool of insured people should be explored.
Improve Health Care Quality & Promote Prevention — The Exchange should only offer plans that provide a comprehensive and high-quality package of health care services. Every plan should prioritize prevention and work to reduce health disparities. Dental and mental health benefits should be included. Health care delivery networks should include essential community providers. Patients should have access to providers who speak their native language.
Community Health — The Exchange itself should promote community health by fostering collaborations between the Exchange insurers and community organizations, such as local public health departments, mental health associations, maternal and child health consortia and disease-specific nonprofits. This will ensure the efficient delivery of health information, health promotion and disease prevention and screening services.
Ensuring Exchange Stability — If insurers and brokers have the power to steer less-healthy patients onto the Exchange, so that they can keep healthier, more profitable enrollees outside of it, premiums in the exchange could become very expensive, threatening its stability. The State must guard against the segregation of people by their health status. The same rules must apply to plans both inside and outside of the Exchange. The Exchange must set market protections to prevent insurers and brokers from cherry-picking healthy enrollees or steering them onto or off the exchange.

Resources

Overview of "Making Health Care Reform Work: The NJ Health Insurance Exchange"
Fact Sheet on what a health insurance exchange is.
List of our exchange principles.
Media Coverage: "Taking The First Steps Toward A New Jersey Health Exchange" (NJ Spotlight — September 15, 2011)

For more information contact: Jeff Brown at jeff@njcitizenaction.org or 732-246-4772 x14.

Citizen Action's New Consumer Health Helpline

GOT HEALTHCARE QUESTIONS?

Call Us Toll Free at

1-888-NJ GET WELL (1-888-654-3893)

How Will My Family Get Health Insurance?
Will My Coverage be Adequate?
Will I be Able to Afford Coverage?
How do I Use the Coverage Once I am Enrolled?
How will the New Federal Health Reform Law Help Me and My Family?

The NJ Consumer Health Helpline is a Free Health Care Consumer Assistance Program working to ensure that consumers are able to access affordable, quality health care and effectively navigate the often complex health insurance system. The Helpline also provides vital information to policy makers by identifying and addressing health care related problems as they occur in real time in our communities.

Our Helpline Counselors are trained and have up-to-date information about healthcare coverage in New Jersey, where to go if you have a problem with your insurance company and how to access other health related programs. NJCA is an independent, statewide education and advocacy organization. We are not a government agency. We work to ensure that all New Jersey residents have access to high quality and affordable health care.

For more information contact Yarrow Willman-Cole at yarrow@njcitizenaction.org . Download this program's flyer in English or flyer in Spanish. Funding for the New Jersey for Health Care Consumer Helpline Project was provided by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

New Payment Reform Principles

The passage of the Affordable Care Act creates opportunities for our state and our country to pursue innovative health care payment reform models designed to promote accessible, coordinated, patient-centered care that focuses on health and disease prevention and reduces health care costs. As payment reform models are advanced, a number of critical concerns, particularly for health care consumers, must be addressed by any legislation or other efforts to implement payment reform.

The NJ for Health Care Coalition has adopted the following 12 patient priorities that any payment reform model, including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and Medical Homes must incorporate to ensure that the health and rights of consumers are protected.

Payment Reform: 12 Patient Priorities

Any payment reform model, including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and Medical Homes must incorporate the following principles to ensure that the health and rights of consumers are protected.

Transparency: Measures of care and incentives built into the payment system must be open, transparent, and understandable by patients. The legislation should provide for an open process through which there is full disclosure, capacity for public review, and explanation of all payment criteria.
Protect Vulnerable Consumers: Payment policies should take into account the higher costs of patients whose needs are affected by high medical utilization, socio-economic status, language and other social/cultural factors. Patients with high medical utilization should be protected by global payments.
Consumer Voice: There must be a substantial number of consumer representatives on the Board of any Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Any government body that regulates, sets policies, or approves payment plans for ACOs must establish a process in which the public has the opportunity to review and comment.
Savings Shared With Consumers: Any cost savings must be used by the ACO to expand access and improve the quality of services provided in addition to providing savings to taxpayers.
Patient Choice and Care Accessibility: The payment system should ensure patient choice of primary care and other providers such as specialists, nurse practitioners and mental health professionals. Patients must have access to caregivers with linguistic and cultural capacity to provide effective care. Payment systems must promote patients' continuity of care with their providers. Patients must have access to medically necessary out-of-network care.
Improve Quality: Any gain-sharing payments made to an ACO must be based on improved outcomes.
Evaluation and Monitoring: The legislation must include independent, meaningful and frequent monitoring and evaluation of the payment system focusing on quality of care, including outcomes, patient satisfaction and quality of life. The evaluation must be public.
Patient Empowerment: A number of patient activation and patient empowerment methods have been shown to lead to better health outcomes, reduced disparities, and better satisfaction with one's health care, as well as reduced costs. Models such as chronic disease self-management, ideal medical practice, shared decision-making, and others must be supported by the payment system employed by the ACO.
Promote Public and Community Health: Payment reform must be accompanied by a commitment to fund public and community health initiatives. Any ACO must be inclusive of community based providers such as health departments, community health clinics, mental health providers and homeless shelters. New resources must be added to current public health spending for payment reform to be successful.
Patient-Centered Primary Care: Payment reform legislation should align incentives so that patient-centered primary care is the center of our health care system. The payment system should support teams that can deliver culturally-competent, coordinated preventive and primary care that focuses on the patient's physical and behavioral health. The system should encourage development of a robust adequate primary care workforce. Providers must receive on-going training and evaluation to ensure competency and accountability.
Care by Appropriate Providers: Care must be provided by the most appropriate caregiver, practicing within their scope of practice and specialty. Health professionals must have workplace rights, whistleblower protection, and serve on committees developing practice models, reviewing outcomes and care management.
Public Benefit Driven Motives: Any ACO must be a non-profit entity and all employees of the non-profit must have reasonable salaries.

(You can also download these 12 Patient Priorities.)

New Report Demonstrates How the Affordable Care Act Will Benefit NJ's Working Families

On March 17, 2011 NJ Citizen Action Education Fund and NJ for Health Care released a new report by New Jersey Policy Perspective, analyzing the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on New Jersey's struggling working families.

The Report (click here)—"Good Medicine: The Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on New Jersey's Working Families with Children" — identifies specific benefits of the ACA and makes recommendations about how New Jersey can maximize its benefit under the new law. Complete details here.

NJCA's Community Petition Drive in Jersey City to Help Save Christ Hospital

In response to the proposed sale of Christ Hospital to a for-profit company, NJCA launched a petition drive to protect the mission of the community hospital. The people of Jersey City need to know that Christ Hospital, its services, and health care providers will always be here for Jersey City families.

National Health Care Reform — Making It Work for New Jersey

A Statewide Health Care Implementation Conference

Thank you for attending the Health Care Implementation Conference on June 8, 2010 and making it a huge success! Special thanks to Community Catalyst, all the panelists, our planning committee, and all the conference participants — your breadth of knowledge, diversity, thoughtful questions, and feedback made this a truly dynamic and substantive event.

Now that we have set the stage for implementation in our state, it is time to roll up our sleeves and get the work done. Please join us in taking the next steps to support implementation by joining our NJ for Health Care Coalition. With your help we can ensure that our state maximizes the benefits available to us through the federal health reform law. Please sign on to the NJ for Health Care coalition to get more involved.

News Coverage: "Young Adults Get Big Benefit Under New Health Care Law" (The Record / NorthJersey.com — June 10, 2010) and "How Controversial Federal Healthcare Law Will Affect Garden State" (NJ Spotlight — June 9, 2010).

Materials from Conference

Download all materials, from all six sections, in a single 4 MB zip file. Also, you can download each individual document below.

Table of Contents

At-A-Glance Agenda: WHAT NEXT? Making it Work for New Jersey, A Statewide Health Care Reform Implementation Conference (download)

SECTION ONE
National Health Care Reform: What does it mean for New Jersey, and what comes next?

Community Catalyst, PPT presentation (June 2010). "National Health Care Reform: What does it mean for New Jersey, and what comes next?" (download)
Community Catalyst (March 2010). "Summary of National Health Care Reform Legislation and Reconciliation Amendment." (download)
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (April, 2010). "Focus on Health Reform: Health Reform Implementation Timeline." (download)
Community Catalyst (June 2010). What National Health Care Reform Means for New Jersey (download)
Star Ledger (March 2010). "NJ Tea Party Protest on 'unchecked' government, health care bill in New Jersey." (download)
Statehouse Bureau (April 15, 2010). "NJ Tea Party searching for political control, unified message" (download)
Community Catalyst (April 2010). "Quick Wins: Who Will Be Helped Right Away By the New Health Care Reform Law?" (download)
Community Catalyst (May 2010). "Health Care Reform Will Secure Coverage and Improve Quality of Care." (download)

SECTION TWO
Implementing Reform in New Jersey

National Academy for State Health Policy (November 2009). "A State Policymakers' Guide To Federal Health Reform: Part I: Anticipating How Federal Health Reform Will Affect State Roles." (download)
National Academy for State Health Policy (November 2009). "Briefing: Supporting State Policymakers' Implementation of Federal Health Reform." (download)
New Jersey Policy Perspective (February 2010). "Estimated Impact of Health Reform Bills Passed by the House and Senate on New Jersey" (download)
New Jersey for Health Care (May 2010). "Establishing a High Risk Pool for New Jersey" (download)

SECTION THREE
National Health Reform and Cost-Quality: How Can New Jersey Utilize the New Reforms to Move the State Health Care Agenda?

Community Catalyst, PPT presentation (May 2010). "Delivery System Change in Health Reform: Improving Quality, Controlling Costs" (download)
Community Catalyst (2010). "National Health Reform and Cost-Quality: How Can New Jersey Utilize the New Reforms to Move the State Health Care Agenda?" (download)
Community Catalyst (2010). "Campaign for Better Care Overview" (download)
Dr. Brenner, Power Point Presentation (June 2010) on Camden ACO project (download)
John Jacobi, Power Point Presentation (June 2010) on Cost, Quality, and Consumer Benefit (download)

SECTION FOUR
Promoting Health Equity Through Health Care Reform

Community Catalyst, PPT presentation (June 2010). "National Health Reform and Reducing Health Disparities in New Jersey" (download)
Community Catalyst (March 2010). "Community Benefits: Protect Consumers and Strengthen Dialogue between Hospitals and Communities" (download)
Community Catalyst (March 2010). "Protect and Target Federal Funding for Safety Net Hospitals" (download)
Community Catalyst (March 2010). "Improving the Health of our Communities: Promote the Availability of Healthy Food in All Neighborhoods" (download)
Community Catalyst (March 2010). "Using Data to Track and Reduce Health Disparities in Medicaid" (download)
Community Catalyst (March 2010). "Promoting Cultural Awareness and Language Assistance in Health Care" (download)
National Immigration Law Center (April 2010). "How Are Immigrants Included in Health Reform?" (download)

SECTION FIVE
Communicating the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to the Public

Herndon Alliance, PPT presentation (June 2010). "Implementing Health Reform: Context and Climate." (download)

SECTION SIX
Additional Resources

Community Catalyst (January 2010). "Building on the foundation: Consumer Advocacy's role in Successful Health Care Reform." Executive Summary (download)
Trust for America's Health. "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) Selected Prevention, Public Health & Workforce Provisions." (download)
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2010). "Young Adults and The Affordable Care Act: Protecting Young Adults and Eliminating Burdens on Businesses and Families." (download)
Community Catalyst - New England Alliance for Children's Health (April 2010). "Overview of Children's Provision in National Health Reform." (download)
National Academy for State Health Policy (April 2010). "Briefing: Long Term Services and Supports and Chronic Care Coordination: Policy Advances Enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." (download)

NJ For Health Care Opposes Governor Christie's Cuts to FamilyCare and Charity Care

On Monday, March 8, 2010, members of the NJ For Health Care Coalition were joined by State Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-37), Chair of the NJ Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and State Senator Joseph Vitale (D-19), Vice Chair of the NJ Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee at a Statehouse Press Conference to call on NJ Governor Chris Christie to stop cuts to NJ's FamilyCare and Charity Care programs which he enacted through Executive Order.

In addition to speakers from NJ Citizen Action, NJ Policy Perspective, the NJ Primary Care Association, the NJ Immigration Policy Network, and the Middlesex County Advocates, partners including the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, the Association for Children of NJ, AARP NJ, Legal Services of NJ, the Association for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities, and the NJ Catholic Conference attended the event.

Press Release.
Speakers.
Statement of Eve Weissman, NJ Citizen Action.
Statement of Raymond Castro, Senior Policy Anayst, New Jersey Policy Perspective.
News Coverage: "Middle Class In New Jersey Becoming Uninsured Faster Than All Other Groups" (The Record / NorthJersey.com — March 18, 2010), "Christie Budget Calls For Sacrifice" (Courier-Post — March 16, 2010), "Budget Cuts Could Hit Low-Income New Jersey Residents" (Asbury Park Press — March 15, 2010), "Lawmakers: Health Care Cuts Will Hurt Economy" (NJBIZ — March 8, 2010), "Critics Warn Dropping Immigrant Health Care Coverage Could Backfire" (The Record — March 8, 2010), "Christie Pressured To Halt Funding Cuts To N.J. FamilyCare And Charity Health Care" (New Jersey Newsroom — March 8, 2010), "NJ's Latest Push for Healthcare Reform" (New Jersey Now / My9News — March 7, 2010 VIDEO NEWS SEGMENT).

New Jersey's Under 31 Insurance Law

The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act allows young adults to obtain health coverage through their parents' insurance plan up to age 26. However, in NJ young adults can stay on their parents' insurance policies up to the age of 31 if they meet the flowing criteria.

Your Plan:

must be through a group health benefits plan issued in New Jersey (or the State Health Benefits Plan); and
must allow for the enrollment of dependents.

A Parent:

If the parent's employer offers coverage subject to the law, then the young adult's parent:

must be covered under the employer's group health benefits plan subject to the DU31 law; and
must provide coverage for all family members who meet the definition of a dependent under the group health benefits plan, or must have waived coverage for an eligible dependent because the dependent is covered under another group health plan or government-sponsored plan

A Young Adult:

If both the employer's plan and the young adult's parent meet the above requirements, the young adult may enroll if he or she:

is younger than 31 years old, but older than the limiting age for dependent children stated in the group health benefits plan in which he or she wants to enroll;
is a resident of New Jersey, or, if not residing in New Jersey, is a full-time student at an accredited public or private institution of higher education;
has evidence of creditable coverage or receipt of benefits under a group health plan, a church plan, an individual health benefits plan or receipt of benefits as a Medicare recipient;
is not covered under another group health plan, church plan, individual health benefits plan and is not entitled to Medicare as of the date that coverage under the parent's group health benefits plan would begin (note: a young adult can have other coverage upon the date the DU31 election is made, but not upon the date the DU31 coverage becomes effective);
does not have any children; and
does not have a spouse, civil union partner or domestic partner.

For a more information on the NJ Law visit the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance website.

NJ Main Street Alliance

The NJ Main Street Alliance brings together hundreds of small business owners who want real health care reform!

Small businesses are the heart of New Jersey's economy and the heart of our communities. No one knows as well as small business owners do how badly our health care system is broken. Small businesses are routinely left vulnerable to the premium hikes, benefit cuts, coverage denials and administrative nightmares that are commonplace in the health care system today.

Join united small business owners across the state coming together to fix the broken health care system. Learn more about the NJ Main Street Alliance.

For more information, please contact: Jeff Brown at jeff@njcitizenaction.org or 732-246-4772 x14.

Support Children's Health Insurance – SCHIP

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), enacted with bi-partisan support a decade ago as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), is designed to build on Medicaid by providing insurance to low-income children who are uninsured, but ineligible for Medicaid.

New Jersey's SCHIP program is called NJ FamilyCare.

The NJ For Health Care Campaign supports full funding for SCHIP.

Feds Back Down on Bad Policy

Doctor NJ For Health Care fought against restrictive rules promulgated by the Bush administration through an August 17, 2007 directive issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would have impeded New Jersey's ability to provide health insurance for thousands of low-income children have been put on hold.

New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities (ABCD), Alliance for Disabled in Action (ADA), BlueWaveNJ, Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton, CWA Local 1034, CWA Local 1037, the Elder Rights Alliance of NJ, Family Voices of NJ, Health Care for All/NJ, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), National Association of Social Workers (NASW) of NJ, National Organization for Women (NOW)—Morris County Chapter, Next Step (incorporated as People with Disabilities for Social and Economic Justice), the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), and the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring NJ Region submitted an amicus brief in support of the State's Complaint. Read the amicus brief.

Resources

"New Jersey Seeks To Shrink Medicaid" (NPR — June 7, 2011 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
"Lautenberg Joins Seniors To Protest Medicare Cuts" (NJToday.net — June 2, 2011)
"$103 A Week Would Be Too Much To Get Medicaid" (Star-Ledger — May 19, 2011)
"Christie Rapped Over Plan To Cut Health Insurance Program" (Newsworks — May 12, 2011)
"N.J. Plans To Seek Federal Approval To Reduce Parent Eligibility For FamilyCare Health Insurance" (Star-Ledger — April 29, 2011)
"Challenging N.J. FamilyCare In Court" (Newsworks — February 8, 2011)
"Why Cuts to NJ FamilyCare is Wrong for New Jersey" (WBAI Evening News — February 7, 2011 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW)
PRESS STATEMENT: Coalition Calls on Legislature to Stop Cuts to NJ FamilyCare and Charity Care — February 17, 2010
A Step Backward: How Federal Rules Would Deny Health Insurance to New Jersey Children, By Raymond J. Castro, Senior Policy Analyst, NJ Policy Perspective.
News Coverage: "Christie Pressured To Halt Funding Cuts To N.J. FamilyCare And Charity Health Care" (New Jersey Newsroom — March 8, 2010).
Here is more information about the NJ FamilyCare program.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE

Recent Event Highlights

Rally Celebrates & Informs: 6-Month Anniversary of Affordable Care Act

On September 23, 2010, NJ Citizen Action, NJ for Health Care, NJPIRG Student Chapters, and the NJ Main Street Alliance hosted a rally, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, to celebrate the new benefits of the Affordable Care Act, and help to educate our peers about the new law. It is now six months old and several new provisions officially take effect.

The "R U Insured?" Rally brought together students, health care advocates, small business owners, and seniors to celebrate the Affordable Care Act's six-month anniversary. The focus of the event was on what health care reform means for each of us, and to help spread the word. People shared first-hand stories about how they are benefiting from the new law. Participants also distributed healthcare-themed zines and a new report on the health benefits for young adults to students and faculty.

News Coverage: "Rally At 6-Month Anniversary Of Health Care Law" (WBAI Evening News — September 23, 2010 AUDIO NEWS INTERVIEW), "Six-Month Anniversary Of U.S. Health Care Law Ushers In New Benefits" (Star-Ledger — September 23, 2010), "Students Celebrate Health Care Legislation" (Daily Targum — September 23, 2010).

Thank You Senator Robert Menendez Event

On Monday, March 29, 2010 health care advocates from across the state gathered at Englewood Hospital to thank US Senator Robert Menendez for his leadership in the winning fight for comprehensive national health care reform. Senator Menendez is a proven health reform champion for New Jersey and has demonstrated his commitment to quality, affordable health care for all time and time again. Hard work millions of New Jerseyans can look forward to the security of good health care at a price we can afford. Tens of thousands of residents will no longer have to worry about being denied care or going bankrupt trying to pay for the care we need.

NJ Citizen Action, NJ For Health Care, and HCAN Press Release.
Senator Menendez's Office Press Release.
Statement of Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director of NJ Citizen Action.
News Coverage: "Sen. Robert Menendez Talks Immigration Reform, Health Care And Offshore Drilling With Star-Ledger's Editorial Board" (Star-Ledger — April 1, 2010 VIDEO NEWS SEGMENT), "Menendez Touts Health Care Law At EHMC" (NorthJersey.com — April 1, 2010), "Menendez Outlines Benefits For N.J. Under New Health Care Law" (The Record / NorthJersey.com — March 29, 2010), "Sen. Menendez Speaks About Health Care Reform" (News 12 — March 29, 2010 VIDEO NEWS SEGMENT).