Congressional Threats to Health Programs Could Harm Millions of New Jerseyans

With the midterm election a week away, polls show that the number one concern of New Jersey voters – both Democrats and Republicans – is health care, and rightfully so. Millions of New Jersey residents would be impacted by threatened changes to federal health care policy, according to a new report released today by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP).

The new report, Congressional Threats to Health Programs Could Harm Millions of New Jerseyans, analyzes the consequences of repealing the Affordable Care Act and protections for those with preexisting conditions, and scaling back entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The report enumerates how many New Jersey residents, both statewide and by congressional district, participate in health programs that could be impacted by congressional action.

Key findings include:

• Up to 7 millionNew Jerseyans on Medicaid could lose part or all of their coverage
• Health coverage is threatened for up to 330,000New Jerseyans who purchase insurance directly
• Up to 8 millionNew Jerseyans are threatened by proposals to eliminate protections for preexisting conditions
• Proposed cutbacks in Medicare threaten health coverage of up to 5 millionNew Jerseyans
• Many of the 688,000New Jerseyans who are uninsured could lose any opportunity to obtain health coverage

“It’s important for New Jerseyans to know that proposals in Congress could have a devastating effect on their health care coverage,” said Raymond Castro, NJPP Director of Health Policy and author of the report. “The stakes have never been higher because the federal government sets many of the rules for all health plans, including those offered by employers. The primary threat is to the Affordable Care Act, but other programs like Medicare and Medicaid are on the chopping block as well. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of health care hinges on the midterm elections.”

Read the full report here:

https://www.njpp.org/healthcare/congressional-threats-to-health-programs-could-harm-millions-of-new-jerseyans

For congressional level data click here:

https://www.njpp.org/healthcare/impact-of-threats-to-health-care-by-congressional-district