Coalition Responds to Christie’s Budget Address

Trenton – Today, the NJ for Health Care Coalition, the largest health care consumer advocacy coalition in the state, responded to Governor Christie’s announcement that he would use Horizon’s excess reserves in the FY2018 budget.

Maura Collinsgru, NJ for Health Care Convener, said in a statement:

“If the Governor is concerned about access to health care for poor and moderate income people in our state, the best thing he could do is stand up and oppose the Republican’s plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which would cause the state to lose billions in federal funds every year and leave almost a million New Jerseyans without  health coverage, all while creating a budget crisis in future years.  The $25 million in charity care cuts the Governor is diverting this year due to a drastic reduction in the number of uninsured and a $100 million federal Medicaid match to support in-home services for the developmentally disabled would vanish with repeal.   

It is simply not possible for the state to quickly identify a sustainable, long term solution to plug the massive budget gap that would result from the Republicans’  plan to repeal the ACA and its funding, and their plan to cut Medicaid funding through block grants and per capita caps. The Governor’s Budget Address today would have been the obvious time for Christie to speak up for our health care and warn against the budgetary and moral implications of repealing the Affordable Care Act. 

Using the health care reserves of the state’s largest insurer as a stand in for public health care funding will do little to ensure comprehensive health coverage for the poor in the face of massive federal cuts to funding for ACA and Medicaid cuts.”