Dear Editor:
Specifically, we agree with the statement the governor made back in 2010, when he said, at the AARP Day at the Capitol, “I want everybody to have health insurance. I want everybody to be able to be provided with health care.”
Now, two years removed from that event, Governor Christie has on his desk at this very moment legislation that could make that ideal a reality. Indeed, the Governor should sign The New Jersey Health Benefit Exchange Act, which would establish a state-run health insurance exchange, rather than allow implementation of a federally-developed exchange. This is something that nearly 60 percent of Garden State voters support according to a recent poll commissioned by AARP. The health insurance exchange would serve as an on-line marketplace where individuals could shop for health insurance coverage in the event they no longer are able to afford, or no longer have access to, other health insurance options. This same poll found that 41 percent of New Jerseyans are very or extremely concerned about their ability to maintain their family’s current health care coverage.
In the tumultuous economic climate in which we find ourselves, now is the time for the Governor to act on his words from 2010. Now is the time for him to sign the legislation on his desk that will establish a health insurance exchange in New Jersey, run by New Jerseyans.
Jeff Abramo
Communications Director
AARP New Jersey