Low Cost Health Insurance New Jersey
More and more Americans are going health insurance. According to a recent study by the independent organization, Kasier Family Foundation, 43 million Americans are without any kind of health care plan. In New Jersey this figure is at an alarming 1 million residents.
The solution is low cost health insurance in New Jersey, unfortunately for most Americans the word low cost and health insurance usually don’t come in the same sentence. These figures reflect the high prices of health care premiums today, as they get higher, the number of uninsured also grow tremendously.
In order to be able to provide low cost health insurance in New Jersey the state government is employing aggressive measures to be able to provide assistance to low and middle families who are unable to afford any kind of insurance.
One of the measures that aims to establish affordable, low cost health insurance in New Jersey is by making it easier for families to qualify for state-assisted health plans. New Jersey supposedly has the highest income eligibility threshold in the United States. Making it easier for more residents to gain access to low cost health insurance in New Jersey.
States like New York have similar programs but the President George Bush has recently vetoed a bill that is supposed to even support these low cost health insurance programs in New Jersey further. President Bush vetoed a bill that was supposed to add an additional 4 million children to the current 6 million covered by the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or S-Chip.
Recently however Governor Jon S. Corzine has announced a partnership with Insurance Company Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to offer low cost health insurance plans to New Jersey children. This program, to be launched in 2008 will make low cost health insurance in New Jersey without any additional cost to the state. This is achieved through efforts by Horizon to absorb the $1 million dollar loss that is expected in its first year.
Families that fall under the 350 percent threshold will get access to these low cost health insurance programs in New Jersey offered by the state through Horizon. Residents will have to pay horizon a stipulated monthly fee for coverage similar to the Family Care program, which is also a low cost health insurance plan in New Jersey. The rates are $137 per month for families with one child, $274 per month for families with two children, and $411 per month for families with three children or more. In comparison a private insurance company would charge about $400 per month for families with just one child that is more than double of this new state offer.
This plan is still going to be monitored for effectiveness but government efforts to find new ways to solve New Jersey’s health care problems should be commended. Access to low cost health insurance plan in New Jersey is a long-term goal. According to Gov. Corzine, he hopes to achieve a universal health care plan in New Jersey within the next two years.