News from ... Legislative District 19

< “Rising health care costs continue to undermine the ability of individuals, businesses and state governments to purchase health care coverage,” Senator Vitale said. “Reversing this trend, elevating this issue - on national and local agendas, and creating an environment in which taking action is required are the goals of Cover the Uninsured Week 2004.”

Vitale and Ryan joined Assemblywomen Weinberg and Previte in planning statewide events during Cover the Uninsured Week 2004, a national campaign organized by former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the California Endowment and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, aimed at focusing the nation’s attention on the plight of the nearly 44 million Americans who go without health care coverage. Their efforts focused on reaching the more than 210,000 uninsured children in New Jersey - 69,000 of which are eligible for health insurance through New Jersey FamilyCare.

“New Jersey has one of the country’s most comprehensive health insurance programs for children,” Kevin Ryan, New Jersey’s Child Advocate said. “It is inexcusable that nearly 69,000 of New Jersey’s children are eligible for FamilyCare, yet they still remain uninsured.”

NJ FamilyCare, a program which helps financially eligible families obtain health insurance for their children to cover the cost of routine physician visits, prescriptions, hospitalizations, lab tests, x-rays, eyeglasses and dental care was created through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.

Data released from the Census Bureau in September 2003 illustrates the severity of the continuing increase in the number of uninsured. In 2002, the number of uninsured in our nation grew to nearly 44 million people – 15.2 percent of the total U.S. population, up from 14.6 percent in 2001. This represents the single largest annual increase in both the number and the rate of the uninsured in a decade. Nearly 20 percent of uninsured Americans are children, or 8.5 million individuals. Uninsured children have been found to lack the necessary continuity of care with an established health care provider and therefore go without needed care. As a result, these uninsured children experience worse health outcomes than a child who has access to regular care. It is imperative that New Jersey’s children are insured.

“As a State and community, we must do better,” Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Chairman of the Senate Health Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, said. “Cover the Uninsured Week is an opportunity to bring the leadership of our State together to begin thinking about effective solutions and lasting change.”

“Children without insurance are 70 percent more likely to go without care for common childhood conditions such as asthma,” Senator Ellen Karcher, Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, said. “New Jersey’s children must have continuous access to quality health care services so that they may be diagnosed and treated before health conditions become severe.”

In recognition of this issue, Senator Vitale, Assemblywomen Weinberg and Previte and New Jersey Child Advocate Kevin Ryan partnered the national Cover the Uninsured Week campaign to organize a statewide effort to cover uninsured children in New Jersey.

On Tuesday, May 11, nine (9) hospitals and health centers throughout the State held health fairs and performed free screenings for the uninsured.

“In New Jersey, these health care facilities serve as an important safety net for the uninsured – providing care to all who walk through their doors regardless of their ability to pay,” Kevin Ryan said.

“We applaud the commitment of New Jersey hospitals and health centers to the communities for which they serve,” Assemblywoman Mary T. Previte said. “As policy makers, seeking to address the issue of the uninsured, we truly appreciate their partnership during Cover the Uninsured Week.”

43 legislative offices throughout the State opened their doors on Wednesday, May 12, as Enrollment Sites for New Jersey FamilyCare and helped enroll nearly 125 families. During the past week, the Department of Human Services has trained more than 30 legislative staff members to assist families with enrolling in FamilyCare.

“This important endeavor calls attention to the issues of the uninsured and their access to health care,” Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg said. “We are happy to participate in helping enroll more children in the State.”

On Thursday, May 13, Senator Vitale held an off-site Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Hearing to discuss the issue of the uninsured. Laura Tobler from the National Conference of State Legislators presented information from a recent publication comparing what different states have done to cover the uninsured, including what works, what doesn’t work and how much it would cost to do what works. The Committee met from 10 AM to 11:30 AM at Children’s Specialized Hospital, Auditorium, 150 New Providence Road, Mountainside. In attendance were health care providers, interest groups, patient advocates and several uninsured families.