newjerseynewsroom.com

State Senate Democrats urge Christie not to join lawsuit opposing it

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

While some 109,000 New Jersey seniors have begun receiving $250 rebate checks under the new federal health care bill to help them cover their prescription costs, Republicans and Democrats continue to debate the worthiness of the legislation.

Responding to criticism from Democrats last week that he opposed the bill and wants to see it repealed, Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th.) said Monday that he also wants to see it replaced with what he called common-sense solutions that lower the cost of health insurance.

"The health care law also cuts the popular Medicare Advantage program enjoyed by more than 150,000 New Jersey seniors,'' Lance said. "These cuts will result in higher co-pays, a loss of health benefits, less quality and choice of programs and fewer choices among doctors for tens of thousands of New Jersey seniors.

"The new health care tax would extend the existing 2.9 percent Medicare tax to unearned income – including interest, dividends, annuities, royalties and rent – for seniors,'' Lance added. "According to the Manhattan Institute, these Medicare taxes would force New Yorkers and New Jerseyeans to pay more than $8 billion in additional taxes. In fact, New Yorkers and New Jerseyeans would pay nearly 25 percent of the entire tax.''

"In fact, the total cost of the $1 trillion health care bill adds $662 billion to our already record-high $13 trillion debt,'' Lance said. "And President Obama's chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says that the new health care law actually increases national health care costs over the next 10 years by $311 billion - making health care more expensive for seniors.

"So sure the $250 checks looks good in a press release but in reality the new health care law's higher costs, higher taxes and Medicare cuts are crippling to New Jersey's seniors.''

While Lance was commenting in Washington, the state Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee in Trenton voted 6-3 in favor of a resolution urging Gov. Chris Christie not to join in a lawsuit to block the federal health care bill.

Citing Christie's recent remarks on the public television call-in-show, "Christie: On the Line," that he is considering joining in the lawsuit to overturn the bill, Democratic lawmakers charged that the governor is "putting conservative ideology ahead of sound public policy and may jeopardize increased funding for state health care programs.''

The resolution, (SCR-108), would call on Christie not to join in any lawsuit seeking to block the provisions of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" which was signed into law by President Obama in March.

The act contains a number of health-related provisions which will take effect over the next four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility, subsidizing insurance premiums, providing incentives for businesses to offer health care benefits to their employees, prohibiting denial of coverage or claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges to allow consumers to get the coverage that meets their needs at the best price possible, and supporting medical research to improve patient outcomes, cure diseases, and lower overall healthcare costs.

Responding to the committee's action, Michael Drewniak, Christie's press secretary, said, “As the Governor has stated previously on this issue, he will do what he believes is in the best interests of the citizens and taxpayers of New Jersey. This is not about politics, but about the facts and how they impact New Jersey.”

Since it was signed, a coalition of conservatives have urged public figures across the country to sign on to a lawsuit seeking to overturn the new law. To date, 18 states – 14 of which are led by Republican governors – have signed on to the legal challenge. The opponents claim that the act violates state sovereignty and puts an unfair burden on state governments.

"The governor has told us that the federal health reform initiative will help shore up programs that people depend on, including access to care for the economically-disadvantaged and prescription drug programs for senior citizens," Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said. "Based on this admission from Governor Christie, we believe he should be doing everything he can to support the health care reforms, not working to knock them down in the name of the conservative right. The mixed messages we're getting from the governor's office could ultimately end up costing us federal aid when it comes time to apply for those funds."

"Governor Christie can't have it both ways -- he's either for increased federal assistance for health care programs like prescription drug benefits for seniors, or he's against it," Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), a co-sponsor, said. "The governor announced that he ‘found the money' to restore funding for prescription drug programs through the federal health care reforms that were signed in March, but has left the door open to join in a lawsuit to overturn the reforms he himself identified as a funding source. New Jersey's seniors have a right to know where Governor Christie really stands -- with the Republicans in Congress who voted to increase prescription drug costs for our seniors, or with the Democrats who voted to protect our senior citizens from an increase in the cost of their prescription drugs."

The resolution moves to the full Senate for consideration.