Media Release
| For Immediate Release | Contact | Phone |
| April 29, 2008 | Ev Liebman | 856-966-3091 ext. 201 |
| Eve Weissman | 856-966-3091 ext. 205 |
New Coalition of Consumer Advocates From Across the State Working Toward Guaranteed Quality, Affordable Health Care For All
Trenton, NJ, April 29, 2008 — A new, diverse coalition of health care advocates launched today immediately began efforts to make the consumer voice a vital part of the health care debate.
In response to legislation recently introduced by State Senator Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) designed to reform New Jersey's health care system, the New Jersey for Health Care Campaign found much to applaud in his effort, and will be a strong voice at hearings on the bill (NJ Citizen Action and the NJ for Health Care Campaign have just learned this morning that S-1557 will not be posted on May 5, as originally thought).
"We commend Senator Vitale for his hard work, commitment to covering all New Jerseyans and his leadership on this critical issue," said Ev Liebman, Director of Organizing and Advocacy for New Jersey Citizen Action and a coalition member.
"We fully support efforts to increase health care coverage for children and low-income families. We will urge the senate to set a cap on family health care costs to assure the plan fully meets Senator Vitale's health coverage goals," she continued. "We agree with Senator Vitale that the individual insurance market is simply unaffordable for the majority of New Jersey residents. We will propose alternative strategies to achieve a more affordable and fair insurance system including combining small business and individual plans into one pool," Liebman explained.
Representing consumer, health care, community, social service, labor, women's, disability, faith-based, senior and civil rights organizations from across the state, the New Jersey for Health Care Campaign, announced its mission today to achieve high quality, affordable health care for all New Jersey residents. The Coalition currently represents and/or works with more than 2.5 million residents.
"Consumers of all stripes, whether they currently have health insurance or not are plagued by our health care insecurity crisis and are poised to take bold action for real solutions," said Liebman.
The New Jersey for Health Care Campaign is being rolled out during Cover the Uninsured Week, a nonpartisan campaign organized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to advocate for health coverage for all Americans. Now in its sixth year, Cover the Uninsured Week (April 27 – May 3) has become the largest, nonpartisan mobilization in history seeking solutions for the 47 million Americans who are uninsured. Thousands of people will participate in hundreds of Cover the Uninsured Week community service and education events held across the nation.
An RWJF study released this week titled Squeezed: How Costs for Insuring Families are Outpacing Income — a State-by-State Analysis demonstrates the growing health care crisis across the country and in New Jersey. The report finds that in New Jersey:
- The average cost of family insurance premiums increased 28 percent from 2001 to 2005, while family policyholders' median earned income increased 7.8 percent over the same period;
- 228,000 fewer people worked in private-sector jobs that offered health insurance in 2005, compared to 2001;
- The number of people with private insurance coverage fell about three percent between 2001 and 2005.
The coalition's mission is to work for a long-term solution to the health care crisis facing New Jersey and the nation. Coalition partners emphasized that any health care reform plan at the state or national level will be evaluated through the following Core Principles:
- Guaranteed access to affordable, comprehensive health care for all
- Improve the quality of care for all
- Shared responsibility among all stakeholders including individuals, employers & government
- Reduce and contain costs to assure affordable coverage
- Emphasis on preventive care
The New Jersey for Health Care Campaign is building strong and robust advocacy infrastructures by engaging residents, health care advocates and policymakers in the movement for comprehensive statewide health care reform. The coalition will be recruiting and training grassroots leaders, holding regional and statewide town halls, conferences and forums, and talking to residents door-to-door. The coalition will also be analyzing policy solutions, making recommendations and developing proposals for reform.
New Jersey is one of 12 states across the country selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Community Catalyst to participate in the Consumer Voices for Coverage initiative, a new grant project providing technical and financial resources to support state advocacy efforts.
Speakers at today's press conference included Liebman; Marilyn Askin, Chief Legislative Advocate for AARP New Jersey; Daniel Santo Pietro, Executive Director of the Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey; Reverend Bruce Davidson, Executive Director of the Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministries; Marcia Marley, Executive Director of BlueWave New Jersey; Jeanne Oterson, Public Policy Director for Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE)/AFT/AFL-CIO; and Renee Steinhagen, Executive Director of New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center.
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New Jersey Citizen Action is the state's largest independent citizen watchdog coalition representing over 100 affiliated organizations including labor, tenant, senior, religious, environmental, and community and 60,000 family members.
