Assembly Human Services Committee Chair Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) today welcomed the news that the Christie administration has heeded her call to eliminate some of the most damaging proposals included in their Medicaid waiver application. “The administration’s proposal in its original form would have dealt a devastating blow to some of our neediest residents”, Huttle said. “It’s comforting to know they have seen a bit of the light and are withdrawing their plans to severely limit eligibility levels and charge sizeable co-pays for emergency room visits”.
“With unemployment at its highest level in years, many residents have not only lost their jobs, but the health benefits that went along with it. This is when New Jersey must step up to help its uninsured residents, not make it even harder for families to have access to medical services”.
She added, “As the Human Services Committee Chair, I’m looking forward to reviewing this complex proposal even further to ensure that the price of potential cost savings is not putting our most vulnerable citizens in harms way.” TLS.
While I also applaud the change, (it affects me as well), I think it would be nice to at least charge everyone a modest co-pay ($5-$10?) for Dr. & emergency room visits. It definitely would not be enough money to make someone not go in when necessary & it also is not so much that it would have a tangible negative effect on a familys long term budget, but it would at least make people think twice before running to Dr. Shanik or the emergency room every monday & thursday just because their kid wants a sticker, which would in turn save medicare the cost of paying for all those unecessary visits (besides for the couple of million they will gain a year from the actual co-pays).
To # 1
YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD!!
you are both showing your ignorance. jersey care works throw HMO,s now (you can google that). shanik doesn’t make $ and the insurance company doesn’t loose $ if you go one time or a hundred. they pay shanik for every patient he has a flat yearly fee.