Governor’s Task Force Recommends Innovative Short-Term Solutions to Improve Quality of Health Benefits, Boost Accountability & Oversight
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Combined, New Jersey’s State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) and School Employees Health Benefits Plan (SEHBP) provide medical, prescription drug and dental benefits to more than 810,000 state employees, local education employees, participating local government employees, and eligible retirees. The state’s fiscal year 2019 budget includes $3.4 billion for health benefits coverage for members of these plans, which represents about 9.1 percent of the overall state budget.
As part of a concerted effort to tackle these cost-drivers, the Murphy administration in September announced health benefit agreements with public employee unions across the board that will save the state and local governments roughly half a billion dollars over the next two years.
The short-term recommendations released today will build upon those efforts while the task force explores more long-term and innovative reforms for the broader health benefits system, which will culminate with the delivery of a comprehensive report to the Governor.
A full copy of the interim report can be found here.