Greenwald Bill to Allow Parents to Continue Enrolling in FamilyCare Advanced by Assembly Committee

(TRENTON) - Legislation sponsored by Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald to continue allowing parents to enroll in the state's health insurance program for the working poor was released Monday by an Assembly panel.

The bill (A-3020) would reallocate $24.6 million of the $665 million that Gov. Chris Christie proposes in his budget to give hospitals for treating uninsured patients and use it to enroll working poor parents in NJ FamilyCare.

"Freezing enrollment in this successful program makes little sense for New Jersey taxpayers," said Greenwald (D-Camden). "It is poor public policy that will overburden hospitals struggling under the new Christie hospital tax. Preventing working parents from receiving health insurance has never been a core New Jersey value, and we shouldn't embrace it now."

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