Beginning January 1^st, 2008 Health Insurance will be available to all children in New Jersey, up to an income of 350% above the poverty level (or $72,275 for a family of four). The official press release about the program is here. Families that choose to participate would "buy-in" at $137 per month, per child, up to a maximum of $411 per month (the maximum for 12 months calculates to $4932 per year). The program is called New Jersey FamilyCare.

According to the article, there are 275,000 uninsured children in this state, including some whose parents have coverage, but cannot afford to cover their children through their employers. 50,000- 60,000 previously ineligible children will now qualify for this program. With the cost of family coverage being in the $15,000 to $18,000 range if purchased independently, this will be a huge relief to some families.

Many real estate agents are not able to obtain insurance for their children, since many smaller brokers don't offer any insurance, and the costs are prohibitive to purchasing them independently. I have spoken with agents that have put their career in real estate on hold for medical coverage, or have to work another job just for benefits.

I am not familiar with the program, it will be run by Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and I haven't seen coverage details, but if one child gets life saving medical treatment out of this new plan, it will be worth it. My concern is, why does a recent study indicate only 15,000 will enroll? Another question is, will the coverage enrollment be accessible enough to those that need it or will there be an enrollment process that causes a backlog? How will the families in need of this coverage find out about it?

There are still questions to be answered, and January 1^st is right around the corner, but the first steps have at least been taken. If you know a family that may qualify, let them know about the program.