NJ Spotlight published the following article on January 22, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
NJ CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR ACTION AS CLOCK TICKS ON UNSPENT ACA FUNDS
ANDREW KITCHENMAN | JANUARY 22, 2014
Time is running out for state insurance officials to reach an agreement with the federal government on how to spend $7.67 million in funds from the Affordable Care Act, and two members of Congress from New Jersey are urging quick action.
The state was awarded the money in 2012 to set up and operate a health insurance exchange; some of the money was to go to improving information technology and gathering input from stakeholders. But Gov. Chris Christie opted instead for a federal marketplace.
While advocates for increasing health access have expressed confidence that federal officials would allow the state to spend the money to promote the marketplace, state and federal officials have been in talks for nearly a year over how the money can be used. New Jersey officials have declined to publicly identify how they want to spend the money, but Christie’s dim view of the marketplace raises the possibility that he wants to funnel the money into other programs.
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-West Windsor) have joined healthcare advocates in calling for the money to be spent on outreach to increase awareness of the insurance that’s newly available to residents as a result of the ACA.