Governor Corzine Rolls Out Plan to Insure More NJ Children at NJCDC’s Paterson Family Center

Governor Corzine visited New Jersey Community Development Corporation’s Paterson Family Center on Tuesday, April 14th to introduce a streamlined application process to help enroll 350,000 uninsured children throughout the state. This form, the “Express Lane” application for New Jersey’s FamilyCare program, will be sent to residents who indicated on their 2008 state tax forms that they have uninsured children at home.

The annoucement at NJCDC was also attended by New Jersey Commissioner for Human Services Jennifer Velez, Representative Bill Pascrell, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, and State Senator Joseph Vitale – a statewide leader on children’s health care issues – and many community leaders from both Paterson and Trenton.

A bill sponsored by Senator Vitale was signed into law last year mandating all children in New Jersey be provided health insurance. Currently there are an estimated 1.2 million uninsured children in the State of New Jersey who should direclty benefit from this legislation.

The only obstacle keeping families from enrolling in the government funded programs that would provide them with health coverage, Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare program, was a convoluted 14 page application. But the state Department of Human Services and Department of Treasury will begin mailing the 1 page “Express Lane” applications in May to families with children eligible for NJ FamilyCare or Medicaid.

“We’re going to get as many of the 350,000 signed up that New Jersey is able to find”, Corzine told 100 teachers, officials and children attending the news conference.

NJCDC President Bob Guarasci was thrilled with the Governor’s annoucement. “Here in Paterson, many children are without health care, which places a great strain on families. We are excited to help the youth and families connected to our many programs use this new form to enroll in the streamlined process.”