Dive Brief:
- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took time Monday to laud the results of Medicaid expansion in the state, arguing it has saved money and proved wrong the "naysayers" who argued the costs would outweigh the benefits, NJ.com reported.
- The state's Medicaid program, NJ FamilyCare, now serves 1.7 million low-income and disabled New Jerseyans -- 566,655 of which were added via expansion.
- As a GOP governor, Christie went against his party when he decided in 2013 to support expansion, becoming the eighth Republican governor to do so.
Dive Insight:
Christie argued at his news conference that contrary to the predictions of a 2013 Heritage Foundation report, which suggested the program would cost New Jersey $1.2 billion by 2022, expansion is so far saving the state money. He said it has reduced charity care by $150 million since it began in 2014, and research group New Jersey Policy Perspective said the state has saved $500 million per year by accepting the federal funding.
"My job as governor of New Jersey is to care for the people of this state and it will not cost the people of New Jersey $1.2 billion dollars under the current regime, not anywhere close," Christie was quoted by NJ.com. "In fact, it's saving the people of New Jersey money and has saved them money. So the Heritage Foundation is wrong on that one."
Although the state will begin picking up part of the tab in 2017, beginning at 5% and increasing to 10% by 2020, state Sen. Joseph Vitale, chairman of the Senate health committee, characterized expansion as "still a heck of a bargain."
Christie has previously outlined plans to increase program oversight to control costs and better address the care of "super-utilizers" who disproportionately drive up spending through frequent ER visits and hospital admissions.
Christie responded to a question on whether his support for Medicaid expansion under the ACA is in opposition to his support for Donald Trump, who has said he would end Obamacare, with "Not at all." He said that while he supports Medicaid expansion, he takes issue with the troubled ACA marketplaces that are seeing insurer departures and skyrocketing premiums.