Quality Health Care for All Campaign
Core Principles
Health Care is a Right, Not a Market Commodity
New Jersey, like our country, faces a growing health care crisis, with more than 1.3 million residents uninsured and tens of thousands of others with inadequate coverage. The skyrocketing cost of coverage creates enormous pressure for families, businesses and our entire economy. New Jersey must address this crisis by taking bold action and setting an example for the nation.
Many current health care reform proposals are inadequate solutions to the health care crisis because they view health care as any other commodity subject to the laws of supply and demand. True health care reform will occur only when access to quality health care – like access to fire protection, police protection, and elementary and secondary education – is a right of all Americans, not a product that is available only to those who can afford it. Government's role is to guarantee quality affordable health care for everyone and must play a central role in regulating, financing, and providing health coverage.
The New Jersey Health Care Reform Campaign supports the creation of a state-wide universal health care system that incorporates the following principles.
- Guaranteed Access to Affordable, Comprehensive Health Care for All New Jerseyans.
- Improves the Quality of Care for All New Jerseyans.
- Shared Responsibility.
- Reduce and Contain Costs to Assure Affordable Coverage.
- Preventive Care
Download a copy of these Core Principles with additional details.
New Jersey for Health Care Campaign
On Tuesday, April 29, 2008 a diverse alliance of organizations from across the state joined together at the Trenton Statehouse to announce the New Jersey for Health Care Campaign, a new initiative dedicated to finding a long-term solution to the health care crisis facing NJ and the nation. The NJ for Health Care Campaign is advancing a bold agenda for comprehensive statewide health care reform that will serve as a model for the nation. Read the Media Release.
The New Jersey for Health Care Campaign is made up of a broad-based alliance of health care, consumer, senior, student, disability, women's, labor, faith-based, civil rights and social justice organizations working to bring guaranteed, high quality, affordable health care to all New Jersey residents. UPDATED 6/30/08: See a complete list of organizations in the NJ for Health Care Campaign.
The NJ for Health Care Campaign continues to build strong alliances with other patient, health care, and social service agencies.
Download and Read:
- New Jersey for Health Care Core Principles.
- Media Release: NJCA's Response to Senator Vitale's Healthcare Proposal.
- Health Care for America by Jacob S. Hacker.
Take Action! Join the New Jersey For Health Care Campaign
Organizations: Sign the 2008 Endorsement Form.
Individuals: Sign the Health Care Voter Pledge Card.
Pledge your support for:
Quality, affordable health care for all, without gaps in coverage or access;
- Care that is cost efficient and effective;
- Care that promotes wellness and prevention; and
- Financing that is fair and includes business, consumers, the health care industry and government.
For more information, contact Eve Weissman at 856-966-3091 or eve@njcitizenaciton.org.
Health Care for America Now (HCAN)
Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is a national grassroots campaign organizing millions of Americans to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for all. We are grounded in organizations that can mobilize people at work, at home, in their neighborhoods, and online. Partners include ACORN, USAction, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, Small Business Majority, UFCW, National Physicians Alliance, National Women's Law Center, SEIU, American Medical Student Association, AFSCME, and Latinos for National Health Insurance. View a full list of HCAN partners.
New Jersey Citizen Action is leading the HCAN Campaign in New Jersey. We're bringing together community organizers, nurses, doctors, small business owners, faith-based groups, organizations of people of color, and seniors who believe it's time we had an American solution that provides quality, affordable health care for everyone. Join the campaign to win quality, affordable health care for all!
The HCAN Campaign was launched on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 in Trenton and in 52 other cities across the country, including 37 state capitals. Watch great footage of New Jersey's HCAN Launch on YouTube and BlueJersey.com.
- Read the Press Release
- See the List of Speakers
- See more great press coverage of the launch event
By coordinating grassroots activism with a national movement we will give a powerful voice to the growing demand for action, advance our agenda for health care reform at both the state and national level, and answer those forces who argue that substantial governmental involvement is not necessary to guarantee quality affordable health care for all.
For more information about Health Care for America Now go to healthcareforamericanow.org or contact NJCA's Health Care Campaign Coordinator, Eve Weissman, at 856-966-3091 ext.205 or eve@njcitizenaction.org.
Greater Disclosure of Medical Errors
Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year from Preventable Medical Errors. In recent years, according to the NJ Department of Health, almost 100 died in New Jersey — but we don't know where. You can help!
Take Action! Call the AARP health care quality hotline at 1-800-844-2272 and urge Health Commissioner Heather Howard to make this important medical information public.
Preventable Medical Errors (PMEs) are avoidable mistakes that result in serious injury or even death. All too many New Jerseyans have experienced the terrible effects of preventable medical errors. However, in New Jersey, consumers are being denied the right to know where these errors are occurring.
For more information read the editorial "Don't Conceal Medical Errors" in the July 22 Asbury Park Press and view the AARP Video News Release, which sheds light on the horrors of PMEs and calls for Health Commissioner Heather Howard to release to the public each NJ hospital's safety record. Please take action today.
You have the right to know where Preventable Medical Errors are occurring in New Jersey. Please call 1-800-844-2272 and ask Commissioner Heather Howard to release the numbers by health care facility!
Support Children's Health Insurance – SCHIP
SCHIP Amicus Brief
The State of New Jersey has filed a Complaint in federal court against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) with respect to a letter issued on August 17, 2007 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which sets forth mandatory, rigid and illegal benchmarks for state child health plans under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities (ABCD), Alliance for Disabled in Action (ADA), BlueWaveNJ, Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton, CWA Local 1034, CWA Local 1037, the Elder Rights Alliance of NJ, Family Voices of NJ, Health Care for All/NJ, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), National Association of Social Workers (NASW) of NJ, National Organization for Women (NOW) - Morris County Chapter, Next Step (incorporated as People with Disabilities for Social and Economic Justice), the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), and the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring NJ Region have submitted an amicus brief in support of the State's Complaint against DHHS. Read the amicus brief.
The State is primarily challenging four aspects of the CMS letter:
- Requiring applicants to have been uninsured for one year and over;
- Requiring 95% participation rate for children below 200% FPL;
- Requiring the State to establish that there has not been a 2% decrease in enrollment of private plans; and
- Requiring the State not to offer an insurance plan on more favorable terms than a competitive private plan.
These requirements would hinder the State's attempt to insure all children through the current SCHIP program as well as expand coverage by offering full-cost buy-ins to those with incomes above 350% FPL.
New Jersey has a lot at stake. Over 124,000 previously uninsured, low-income children are currently covered under the New Jersey's SCHIP program known as FamilyCare, which constitutes the State's primary mechanism to ensure comprehensive health insurance for children residing in New Jersey.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), enacted with bi-partisan support a decade ago as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), is designed to build on Medicaid by providing insurance to low-income children who are uninsured, but ineligible for Medicaid.
After two presidential vetoes and days before the program was scheduled to run out, Congress extended the SCHIP program until March 2009. The legislation includes just enough money to sustain the program at its current level and keep the approximately 6 million children in SCHIP from losing their health coverage. Unfortunately, there is no funding to cover uninsured children who are eligible for the program but not enrolled.
The extension was contained in a large health care bill called the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007. Taken as a whole, this bill is both a disappointment and a promise for more health care action next year. For example, the bill does not address the Administration's harmful directive to limit SCHIP eligibility to families who make less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Overturning this wrong-headed policy is a top goal in 2008.
As the number of uninsured children continues to rise, SCHIP will not be able to support current program levels or expand coverage to cover more uninsured children without additional federal funding.
NJ Citizen Action supports full funding for SCHIP and opposes the President's veto of funding for critical human needs. NJCA calls on New Jersey's entire congressional delegation to support proposals to increase funds for SCHIP and to pay for SCHIP expansion by eliminating over-payments to Medicare Advantage Plans (private Medicare plans paid for on the backs of taxpayers and seniors).
Learn more about the SCHIP debate:
- Read the Kaiser Family Foundation Issue Brief SCHIP Reauthorization: Key Questions in the Debate.
- Read the Families USA Issue Brief 9 Million Children and Counting: The Administration’s Attack on Health Coverage for America’s Children (February 2008).
- Learn more about the Bush Administration's scheme to privatize Medicare. See NJ Citizen Action's Press Release and NJ Citizen Action's report: The Public Cost of Privatized Medicare: How Medicare Advantage is hurting Medicare beneficiaries and other New Jersey taxpayers.
For more information, contact Eve Weissman at 856-966-3091 or eve@njcitizenaction.org, or NJ Appleseed’s Renee Steinhagen at 973-735-0523 or rsteinhagen@lawsuites.net.
NJ Prescription Drug Pricing Registry Website Launched
The Rx Drug Registry, for which NJCA successfully lobbied, has officially been launched by the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs. Now consumers are able to easily search for drugs by entering the drug name, dosage, and their zip code.
With drug prices varying by as much as 25% from store to store, the registry will help those without prescription drug coverage, including those stuck in the "donut hole" of the new Part D prescription drug program. NJCA was instrumental in helping draft the legislation and lobbyied on its behalf. See our press release. Search the Rx Drug Registry to find the most affordable prices.
Medicaid Co-Pays Taken Off the Table of State Budget
Governor Corzine's proposed FY2007 Budget called for a $2 co-pay on prescription drugs in fee-for service and Managed Care plans. While this might not sound like a lot of money, many individuals with developmental and other disabilities in NJ need constant medical supervision and/or need to take 5–10 medications on a daily basis. These co-payments would be extremely burdensome for Medicaid beneficiaries who have a very small monthly allowance fUor personal expenses.
In addition to testifying before the state budget committees, NJCA met with state legislators and the Governor's office and urged them to not support Medicaid co-pays. Along with our letter writing action on our website, our efforts to fight back this budget item were successful. Co-pays for Medicaid services are now off the table. Thank you to those who wrote letters and called your legislators!