TRENTON — Determined to play a role in New Jersey's implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Democratic lawmakers today announced the goals and some of the members of a task force that will monitor a federally-run health exchange that will be the online portal uninsured people will use to buy insurance.



Democrats created the "Joint Legislative Task Force on Health Insurance Exchange Implementation" by a resolution in May after Gov. Chris Christie decided to let the Obama administration operate the exchange, which starts enrolling people Oct.1.

The task force is expected to evaluate the success of the exchange - also known as a "Marketplace" in helping people compare and purchase health insurance policies and apply for tax credits or subsidies to help pay for them.

Next year, the federal law requires people to buy a policy if they do not already get coverage through the government or their employer, or face a fine when they file their taxes in 2015. There are about 1 million uninsured people in New Jersey and approximately 800,000 to 900,000 of them are expected to be able to obtain health care either through a private health insurance carrier or Medicaid.



"The marketplace is a key component of health reform and the mechanism by which hundreds of thousands of people will shop for health coverage in New Jersey," said Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex), a sponsor of the task force resolution and a member. "Our goal as a state must be to ensure that the 1.3 million uninsured, the underinsured and small businesses seeking affordable options are able to access quality coverage."

The members of the task force were selected because they chair committees that oversee health and insurance issues. They are:

Sen Nia H. Gill (D-Essex);

Sen. Fred H. Madden (D-Gloucester);

Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex);

Sen. Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen);

Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington);

Assemblyman Angel Fuentes (D-Camden);

Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic);

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).

The resolution, (SCR-144) also calls for two appointments each from the Senate and Assembly Minority Leaders, who are Republicans.

"We need to monitor the implementation strategy for a state health insurance exchange now, and this task force will be a voice for the people to make sure it’s done right," said Conaway, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee.

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