TRENTON — Today is the first day of life in New Jersey under Gov. Chris Christie's new budget. Changes are effective immediately for FamilyCare, the low-cost managed care insurance program for working poor families, and the state's smoking cessation programs. FamilyCare: • Premiums will rise for 20,000 parents: Monthly costs for one parent will go from $34 to $42.50,...
FamilyCare:
• Premiums will rise for 20,000 parents: Monthly costs for one parent will go from $34 to $42.50, and $63.75 per month, rather than $48 per month for a couple. Families affected earn between 1- 1/2 to two times the poverty rates, or $44,100 for a family of four. SAVES: $1.1 million.
• About 10,000 legal immigrants who had been enrolled were eliminated from the program; 2,000 others who have acute medical conditions have been kept on to complete treatment. SAVES: $45 million.
Anti-Tobacco programs:
• All seven Quitcenters run from hospital and health facilities where people get help quitting smoking lose their state funding money today. SAVES: $7.5 million.
Contingency plans: The state health department has found $2.5 million from cancer control and other grants to maintain the Quitline hotline and the school-based programs. St. Barnabas Health System, Somerset Medical Center, Jersey Shore Medical Center will fund their own quitcenters with their own money. Each center received $103,000 from the state.
Smoking "is the leading cause of preventable death in this country. If you are ignoring this issue you can't call yourself a health care facility,'' said Connie Greene, vice president for the Prevention Institute at St. Barnabas, which operates a center serving Essex and Union counties, and Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Related coverage:
• N.J. senator introduces bill preserving FamilyCare insurance program for working poor
• Christie's new charity care funding will cause N.J. hospitals losses, gains in state aid
• Full coverage of the 2010 New Jersey State Budget
| Gov. Christie looks to the future at budget signing |
| Chris Christie signs N.J. budget into law |