New Jersey: Health Insurance for all Residents?

New Jersey lawmakers have put forth a bold goal of making sure that every state resident has health insurance coverage by 2011. While this may sound like an unattainable goal, it is something that more states need to do. By having a short term goal with long term implications, it shows that the state is genuinely concerned about the future path of the health insurance industry.

Of course, there are some issues with this plan. First and foremost, the state would have no recourse for companies that decided to drop group health coverage. With that being said, it is hopeful that others parts of the plan would help those who lose coverage from a job loss or employer cutbacks.

There are two groups of people who will be targeted first: parents and children. From there, the plan calls for making health insurance more affordable for both individuals as well as small businesses.

Finally, there will also be a state sponsored plan that will offer coverage to uninsured residents who do not have the means to buy their own policy.

At this time, approximately 1.4 million New Jersey residents are living without health insurance. To make this number worse, about 275,000 of these people are children.

State Senator Joseph Vitale said, "This is an idea whose time has come as more New Jersey families are struggling with the high cost of health care and more state residents than ever before worry that they may be one serious illness away from bankruptcy.'

In the first year alone, it is estimated that this plan would cost approximately $29 million. With that being said, it would go a long way in helping millions of New Jersey residents to better their health insurance situation.