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Lawmakers Act to Defend the ACA After NJPP Report

We're fighting hard to protect the Affordable Care Act.

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Published on Dec 21, 2016 in Health

New Jersey Policy Perspective is gaining traction in the fight to defend the Affordable Care Act – and the thousands of New Jersey residents who rely on it for health care coverage.

Last month, NJPP released a groundbreaking report that showed the devastating impact repealing the Medicaid expansion portion of the Affordable Care Act would have on New Jersey residents.

That report is getting results.

This week, the New Jersey legislature acted on one of NJPP’s key recommendations: It passed a resolution urging Congress and the President not to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The resolution, which was overwhelmingly passed in both houses, cites many of the key findings of NJPP’s report.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell cited NJPP’s findings in a letter to Gov. Christie, in which he urged the governor to make clear to Congressional leaders (who are soliciting feedback from governors nationwide) that repealing the health care law – and particularly the Medicaid expansion – “would have a disastrous impact on our state.” Using NJPP’s report, the Congressman’s letter makes a compelling case that protecting the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid expansion is good for New Jersey’s low-income families, its state finances and economy, and its hospitals and health care providers. 

This report is the first of many steps that NJPP plans to take to oppose efforts by Congress and the Trump administration to return to the days when most New Jerseyans were either uninsured or underinsured. These steps will include a series of reports on the devastating consequences of repealing the ACA without an adequate replacement, public forums on the most pressing issues, and other actions.

To learn more about how you can support NJPP’s work on this front, please email Carly Rothman Siditsky at carly@njpp.org.

Author

  • Ray Castro was formerly the Director of Health Policy for NJPP. In this role, he worked to improve the health outcomes of New Jerseyans by producing reports, testifying in legislative hearings and working with advocates, legislators and their staff, and other key stakeholders to change policy and boost families in need.

    Ray’s research interests include: the Affordable Care Act, universal health coverage, NJ FamilyCare, health care transformation, poverty, the social safety net, public assistance and working family tax credits.

    Before joining NJPP in August 2006, Ray worked for the New Jersey Department of Human Services for more than 30 years, mainly serving as the Director of the DHS Office of Legislative Services in the Commissioner’s office. He was closely involved with developing federal and state legislation relating to Medicaid, mental health, welfare reform, child protective services, child care and other work support programs, and helped develop the policy and legislative strategy that led to New Jersey’s state Earned Income Tax Credit.

    He received a BA in psychology from the University of California-Berkeley and holds a master’s in social work degree with a specialization in policy from Rutgers University.