With 'Cover All Kids' NJ Moves To Provide Health Care Security

NEW JERSEY - Nearly 90,000 uninsured children will have access to health care coverage through a new initiative in the Garden State as part of Phase 1 of the Cover All Kids campaign.

“No child in New Jersey should be left without the support and security of health care coverage,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The proposed investment toward Cover All Kids in our budget continues the progress we’ve made toward advancing health care accessibility, while laying the foundation to ensure that more children are able to receive access to quality health care coverage that they deserve.”

The campaign further builds on the Governor’s progress in making critical strides in improving access to more affordable health care coverage for New Jersey residents, officials said.

“As a daughter of immigrants and as someone who grew up with NJ FamilyCare coverage for most of my childhood, I could not be more thankful for the Governor’s leadership here and excited about what this campaign will mean for the thousands of uninsured children in New Jersey,” said Shabnam Salih, Executive Director of the Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency. “Through this work we will not only be ensuring better health care for these children, but removing a significant burden in their lives that will help ensure brighter and healthier futures.”

Phase 1 of the Cover All Kids Campaign

The first phase will remove barriers and support connections to coverage for nearly 53,000 children through FY2022 by doing the following:

• Eliminating the 90-day waiting period for coverage to children newly enrolling into the Children Health’s Insurance Program (CHIP);
• Removing premiums families would pay for their children enrolled in CHIP; and
• Developing targeted outreach efforts to boost enrollment for currently eligible children who are unenrolled.

Phase 2 of the Cover All Kids Campaign

The second phase of the campaign begins after Phase 1 implementation and will provide coverage options for children of undocumented immigrants and those whose families’ incomes are over NJ FamilyCare eligibility, but still find coverage unaffordable and out of reach.

"This is the game-changer that we have all been waiting for. This is the difference between not doing and doing. This legislation will make fundamental change, not over there or over there, but right here in this wonderful city, Passaic," said Assemblyman Gary Schaer. "Whatever your background, your language, culture or religion, we make the difference with this legislation today.

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