Cryan Praises Governor’s Health Savings Proposal

Trenton – Senator Joe Cryan today praising Governor Murphy’s plan to cut the cost of public employees’ health care in New Jersey by $174 million, providing savings for workers and government employers. The Governor included the initiative in his Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Proposal to the Legislature.

“This is an effective way to reduce health care costs at the same time it protects the quality of care for school employees and their families,” said Senator Cryan. “It provides incentives to avoid out-of-network health providers that are more expensive and make productive use of a reserve fund.

“At a time when health care costs continue to climb throughout the country, this is a cost-saving measure in New Jersey that will reduce premiums for employees and hold down costs for public employers. This can all be achieved without compromising the quality of medical care and it builds on savings already realized in the current year.”

The Governor’s proposal would give public workers enrolled in the School Employees Health Benefits Plan who pay anywhere from 3 percent to 35 percent of their health insurance premiums the opportunity to pay a percentage of their salary, reducing their costs to between 2 percent and 8 percent of their pay.