NJ outlines universal healthcare plan

Another one hops on the bandwagon. This week, it's New Jersey which has climbed on board with a universal health coverage model. The proposed legislation, which hasn't been filed yet, would require all state residents to carry health insurance, with state funding subsidizing those couldn't afford health plan premiums. Residents would be able to apply for the subsidized plan even as they were in the process of seeking emergency care. Uninsured legal and and illegal immigrants, meanwhile, would be treated a statewide network of clinics, a step it must take because the state can't legally establish insurance policies for undocumented residents. State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D), the bill's main backer, concedes that the plan could cost the state $1.7 billion in its first year along, but argues that this cost would be offset somewhat by the influx of new cash from new enrollees. In his view, the economics would work over the longer term, as hospitals saw more insured patients and gave less charity care. That, in turn, would lead to fewer bailouts for sick hospitals, something everyone wants to achieve.

To get up to speed on the New Jersey plan:
- read this Bergen County News piece

PLUS: States may save money if homeless adolescents have health insurance. Article

ALSO: Massachusetts has begun enrolling uninsured residents in its subsidized health plan. Article

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