BETTER CHOICES, BETTER CARE NJ THANKS GOVERNOR MURPHY FOR COMMITMENT TO FIXING OUT-OF-NETWORK & SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLING

Edison – Better Choices, Better Care NJ spokesman Chris Donnelly issued the following statement today regarding Governor Murphy’s call for action on the issue of out-of-network and surprise medical billing:

“We thank Governor Murphy for stressing the importance of fixing the critical issue of out-of-network and surprise medical billing in our state.  This has gone unresolved for far too long and we appreciate the governor highlighting the problem and calling for action. 

“Out-of-network and surprise billing continue to have an adverse impact on New Jerseyans. New Jersey Policy Perspective estimates that surprise billing is a $1 billion problem that drives up premium costs for consumers.  Failure to act, and act quickly, leaves open the possibility that one more person will fall victim to this practice.

“Governor Murphy’s comments – along with the commitment already seen by Speaker Coughlin, Senator Vitale, Senate Majority Leader Weinberg, Assemblyman Schaer, and Assemblywoman Lampitt – offer great promise for finally fixing this long-standing problem and saving consumers countless dollars.” 

In November 2017, Better Choices, Better Care NJ released a 15-point plan to improve health care in the state of New Jersey.  The plan lays out why these issues were selected, how leaving them unresolved negatively impacts New Jerseyans and what specific remedies are needed to fix them.  The report can be viewed at: “Moving New Jersey To Affordable, Quality Health Care.”

Among the issues laid out in the plan to help reduce costs are: having the state create its own individual mandate, so that premiums do not skyrocket as low-risk individuals leave the market; moving behavioral health aspects of Medicaid from a fee-for-service to a patient centered care model; moving behavioral health and substance use disorder services to the Medicaid Managed Care Program; and having transparency guidelines across all sectors and facets of health care, especially when it comes to consumer pricing.

Better Choices, Better Care NJ is a 501(c)4 public education project advocating for innovative ways to improve health, transform care and lower health care costs.  The advocacy organization helps consumers, employers and elected representatives examine, understand and harness the changing health care landscape to create the best outcomes possible for New Jersey.

For more information on Better Choices, Better Care NJ and how we can transform health care in New Jersey, log on to www.betterchoicesbettercarenj.com follow us on Twitter @BCBCNJ and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BetterChoicesBetterCareNJ.