Now it's 'Healthcare for Everyone!' On your dime of course.

From the Kaiser Network:

New Jersey Senate Health Committee Chair Joseph Vitale (D) on Monday announced a universal health coverage proposal that would require all residents to obtain health coverage within three years, the New York Times reports. About 1.4 million state residents are uninsured (Chen, New York Times, 3/18).

The first phase of the plan would focus on expanding the state's NJ FamilyCare program to provide more coverage for uninsured children and their parents. Also during the first phase, the state would try to overhaul the health insurance market to reduce costs, particularly for small businesses and the self-insured. According to Vitale, the first phase would cost an estimated $28.8 million and would be paid for by redistributing unused state and federal funds that already are allocated for health programs for low-income residents.


This is the old foot in the door technique. While Vitale says that this won't cost taxpayers anything, he also says his phase two plan would cost a billion dollars. This money would magically appear in savings other places. Here's a novel idea, if there are savings other places, let's take them now. They use the money to pay down the 4 BILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT in this state.

A bigger reason to dislike even the thought of this plan is the invitation to corruption that it represents. Fast forward to two or three years after this is implemented and count up the state senators and assembly people being indicted for steering contracts to insurers and providers intermingled into this plan under the covers. I suspect that this plan is less about 'feel good' politics and much more about influence that Vitale is willing to admit.

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