Compliance March 2, 2006

NJ Bill Calls for Report of Uninsured Workers on State Plan

March 2, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The New Jersey Senate has passed legislation that would annually single out employers that have 50 or more employees or worker dependents enrolled in the state's low-income health insurance program.
Reported by

Business Insurance reports that the bill,  S539 , would require the Commission of Human Services to publish a report each year by February 1 that includes the following information about each employer in the state with 50 or more enrollees in the state’s FamilyCare program:

  • the employer’s name and address;
  • the number of FamilyCare enrollees employed by the employer;
  • the number of FamilyCare enrollees who are spouses or dependents of employees;
  • whether the employer offers health insurance coverage to its employees; and
  • the cost to the state of providing FamilyCare coverage to the employer’s employees and their dependents.

One sponsor of the bill, Barbara Buono (D), said the bill comes in response to a growing number of working uninsured receiving coverage from the FamilyCare program, which was designed to be a safety net for families living just above the poverty line, according to Business Insurance.

The bill will now go to the state Assembly for approval.

Other states are also concerned about the burden placed on state health care programs due to workers not receiving insurance from their employers (See  Doyle Accuses Wal-Mart of Health Care ‘Dumping’ ).   Some 30 states are considering legislation mandating employer spending on health care for employees after Maryland passed the first such bill in January (See  Veto of ‘Wal-Mart Bill’ Overridden in MD Senate).

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