Bill Text: NJ A111 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DHS to create English and Spanish-language Internet websites to promote enrollment in affordable health care plans.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee [A111 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A111-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DONALD A. GUARDIAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHS to create English and Spanish-language Internet websites to promote enrollment in affordable health care plans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the NJ FamilyCare outreach and enrollment initiative and amending P.L.2008, c.38.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 26 of P.L.2008, c.38 (C.30:4J-18) is amended to read as follows:
26. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish an enhanced NJ FamilyCare outreach and enrollment initiative to increase public awareness about the availability of, and benefits to enrolling in, Medicaid, NJ FamilyCare, and the NJ FamilyCare Advantage buy-in programs.
b. The initiative shall include culturally sensitive, Statewide and local media public awareness campaigns addressing the availability of health care coverage for parents and children under the Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs and health care coverage for children under the NJ FamilyCare Advantage buy-in program. These campaigns shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) A dedicated Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare Internet website that includes a directory of health care centers and other agencies that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to act as "health navigators" and assist New Jersey residents in enrolling in affordable health care plans, as well as other community centers that inform State residents about insurance options and assist with enrollment in health plans through the competitive health insurance marketplace, and the languages spoken in each center;
(2) A dedicated Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare Internet website that provides the same content as the website created pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, provided entirely in the Spanish language, and with a Spanish-language domain name to ensure easy Internet access by Spanish-speaking State residents; and
(3) a multimedia public awareness campaign, presented in the English and Spanish languages, publicizing the Internet websites created pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection.
c. The initiative shall also include the provision of training and support services, upon request, to community groups, legislative district offices, and community-based health care providers to enable these parties to assist in enrolling parents and children in the applicable programs.
(cf: P.L.2008, c.38, s.26)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would expand the information and resources provided by the Commissioner of Human Services, through the enhanced NJ FamilyCare outreach and enrollment initiative to increase public awareness about the availability of, and benefits to enrolling in, Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare.
Under the bill, the commissioner would be required to create a dedicated Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare Internet website that includes a directory of health care centers and other agencies that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to act as "health navigators" and assist New Jersey residents in enrolling in affordable health care plans, as well as other community centers that inform State residents about insurance options and assist with enrollment in health plans through the competitive health insurance marketplace. The directory would identify the languages spoken in each listed center.
The commissioner would additionally be required to create a parallel Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare Internet website with the same content provided entirely in the Spanish language, and with a Spanish-language domain name to ensure easy Internet access by Spanish-speaking State residents.
The bill would also require the commissioner to create a multimedia public awareness campaign, presented in English and Spanish, publicizing the Internet websites created pursuant to this bill.
This bill aims to increase awareness and access to the Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs for underserved populations in this State, especially those for whom Spanish is a primary language.
The bill would take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, to provide ample time for the Department of Human Services to create the two Internet websites and the public awareness campaign.
