 |
|||
Press Statement |
|||
| For Immediate Release | Contact | Phone | |
| Wednesday, February 24, 2010 | Eve Weissman |
732-246-4772 | eve@njcitizenaction.org |
| Ray Castro |
609-393-1145 x11 | email NJ Policy Perspective | |
New Report Shows National Health Reform is Good for New Jersey Families, Economy & Small Businesses
NJ Policy Perspective Report Outlines Specific Benefits of President's, House's, and Senate's Health Reform Proposals for the Garden State and Recommends Key Provisions
Highland Park, New Jersey — Today, Wednesday, February 24, 2010 the NJ Consumer Voices for Coverage (CVC) Leadership Team released a new report (click here) by Ray Castro, Senior Policy Analyst for NJ Policy Perspective, analyzing the impact of national health care reform on New Jersey. NJ CVC was joined by U.S. Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12) in describing the benefits of comprehensive national health reform including expanded coverage, improved quality, and lower health care costs for New Jersey residents.
The report — Estimated Impact of Health Reform Bills Passed by the House and Senate on New Jersey — is part of the NJ Consumer Voices for Coverage (CVC) Project, a joint initiative of Community Catalyst and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The Report looks at key provisions of the House and Senate health care bills and President Obama's health reform proposal released on Monday, February 22nd and recommends which elements of each proposal best serve the Garden State. The President's proposal aims to bridge a compromise between the House and Senate bills. Tomorrow, Thursday, February 25th leaders from the House and Senate will join together for a bipartisan health care summit facilitated by the President, with the goal of moving forward on national health care reform.
"We urge Congress and President Obama to continue the work of moving a comprehensive national health care reform bill forward that guarantees access to quality and affordable care for all," said Eve Weissman, Health Care Campaign Coordinator for the NJ Citizen Action Education Fund. "The cost of inaction is further erosion and eventual collapse of both our health care system and economy. We have come too far to turn back now."
"The two bills and the President's proposal represent a historic improvement in the current health care system that will be an overwhelming benefit to most New Jerseyans and the state's economy," said Ray Castro, report author and Senior Policy Analyst at NJ Policy Perspective.
The NJ Policy Perspective Report shows that all three proposals — from the House, Senate, and President Obama — would make major inroads to address critical health care problems in New Jersey such as double digit uninsurance rates, out-of-control medical costs, and some of the highest health insurance premiums in the nation.
Specifically the Report shows that all three proposals would:
- Make available an estimated $23 billion to $29 billion in federal funds to New Jersey over a decade to provide subsidies to families up to four times the federal poverty level ($88,200 for a family of 4) and
- Insure between 867,000 and 1 million of the 1.5 million New Jerseyans projected to be uninsured by 2019, increasing New Jersey's current insurance rate from 85% to between 92% and 94%
According to the Report all three proposals also contain important consumer protections including that insurance companies can no longer deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions, drop coverage when you get sick, or place a lifetime limit on benefits. The Report describes ways in which all three proposals take steps to help people afford health insurance and contain measures designed to hold down costs.
According to the Report, all three proposals make insurance companies more accountable. In particular, the President's proposal creates a new Health Insurance Rate Authority to protect consumers from predatory rate hikes and require transparency and accountability.
"In the past few weeks, my architectural woodworking shop has been hit by a 124% increase in our health insurance premiums, jumping to $654 a month for each of nine employees from $291," said Kelly Conklin, Owner of Foley-Waite Associates, LLC and Executive Committee Member of the National Main Street Alliance. "This rate hike is beyond comprehension and unfortunately, my business is not an anomaly. Many other small business members of the Main Street Alliance have reported rate increases upwards of 30%. Meanwhile the insurance companies are raking in record profits."
"The first step to controlling costs is covering every citizen," said Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, MD, Executive Director/Medical Director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. "When an uninsured patient collapses after a heart attack because of untreated diabetes and high blood pressure, we all pay the bill. We pay through overcrowded emergency rooms and cost shifting. Getting control of health care costs requires that we start by covering all citizens."
The NJ Policy Perspective Report compares a number of specific provisions in the House and Senate bills and on behalf of NJ Consumer Voices for Coverage such as:
- Funding for Medicaid and Exchange subsidies over 10 years: Support higher funding for subsidies in House bill because more people will be insured.
- Reduction in federal deficit over 10 years: Support the House bill which spends more funds to help low and middle income families afford health insurance.
- Premium credits: Support the subsidies in the House bill for families below 250% of the poverty level and the Senate bill above that level with a requirement that the subsidies be increased for high cost-of-living states. Support extending CHIP for children not eligible for Medicaid as in the Senate bill but also include parents eligible for CHIP.
- Medicaid: Support the greater Medicaid expansion in the House bill because there is no cost sharing in Medicaid and it provides more comprehensive benefits compared to private plans in the Exchange.
- Health Insurance Exchange: Support the National Health Exchange in the House bill because it would probably take less time to implement it and would be more effective in fostering competition among insurance plans. Support the Senate provision requiring that all members of Congress and staff obtain their insurance through the Exchange.
- Small business tax credits: Support higher funding level for tax credits in the Senate bill.
- Medicare prescription drugs: Support eliminating the coverage gap in the House bill and the other Medicare improvements in these bills.
###
Consumer Voices for Coverage is a joint initiative of Community Catalyst and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) focused on ensuring consumer concerns are represented in both state and national health care reform.
The NJ Consumer Voices for Coverage Leadership Team is represented by the following organizations: AARP New Jersey, Camden Churches Organized for People, Communication Workers of America, Health Professionals and Allied Employees, Hispanic Directors Association of NJ, NJ Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, NJ Catholic Conference, NJ Citizen Action Education Fund, NJ Health Care Quality Institute, NJ Public Interest Research Group, NJ Policy Perspective, NJ State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, PICO New Jersey, and the Women's Fund of NJ.
NJ For Health Care is made up of a broad-based alliance of health care, consumer, senior, student, disability, women's, labor, faith-based, civil rights and social justice organizations working to bring guaranteed, high quality, affordable health care to all New Jersey residents.
New Jersey Citizen Action Education Fund (NJCAEF) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 1983, promoting the empowerment of low- and middle-income people through research, education and training around public policy issues and direct counseling and services.
NJ Policy Perspective is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that conducts research on state issues. NJPP offers credible, pointed, progressive analysis and commentary aimed at broadening debate in NJ.
