New Jersey Launches Initiative To Enroll Eligible Children in FamilyCare
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) on Wednesday announced that a new one-page "Express Lane" application for the state's FamilyCare program will be mailed to families who indicated on their state tax forms that they have eligible, uninsured children, the Bergen Record reports. Children in families with incomes up to 350% of the federal poverty level are eligible for FamilyCare. The one-page form replaces a 14-page application, which was an obstacle to getting people enrolled, according to state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D). Vitale sponsored a bill that was signed into law in 2008 mandating that children in the state have health insurance.
The New Jersey Department of Human Services and Department of Treasury next month will begin mailing the one-page application to families. Corzine during a press conference said, "We're going to get as many of the 350,000" uninsured children in the state signed up as possible. State Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez said that universal coverage for children is "a priority, a moral obligation," adding that New Jersey is the first state to have a "tax-time partnership" between parents and the state to identify uninsured children (Groves, Bergen Record, 4/15).
