Trenton – A Senate resolution advocating for a plan to expand Medicaid in New Jersey gained the approval of the Assembly on Monday. The measure urges Governor Chris Christie to accept a federal proposal to greatly expand Medicaid in New Jersey, a plan that would extend coverage to hundreds of thousands of the uninsured, bring tens of billions in federal funds to the state and, in the process, produce savings for hospitals by reducing uncompensated care expenses.
The Assembly voted 45 – 30 in support of SCR-132, which urges the governor to accept the offer from the federal government to pay the full cost of the expansion the first three years, followed by a three-year phase-down to a permanent 90 percent reimbursement. The Senate approved the resolution on November 29, 2012.