GUSCIORA /VAN DREW 'BIG BOX DISCLOSURE BILL'

GUSCIORA /VAN DREW 'BIG BOX DISCLOSURE BILL'
ADVANCES IN COMMITTEE
Measure Would Require Annual Report on Large Employers
With Workers in NJ FamilyCare Program(TRENTON) -- The Health and Senior Services Committee today released legislation Assemblymen Reed Gusciora and Jeff Van Drew sponsored to force disclosure of the names of large employers that have inordinate numbers of workers enrolled in the NJ FamilyCare subsidized health-care program.

The bill (A-932) directs the state Department of Human Services to create an annual report on employers that have 50 or more employees enrolled in NJ FamilyCare. The reports would include employer information, the type of insurance offered, the number of employees and dependents enrolled in FamilyCare, and the annual cost to the state for covering employees, employee spouses and employee dependents.

"Mounting evidence suggests that some large employers like Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers are trying to maximize profits at the expense of New Jersey taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill for NJ FamilyCare," said Gusciora (D-Mercer). "It's conceivable that the failure of these well-heeled employers to provide health insurance to their workers is costing taxpayers more than $100 million a year."

"A comprehensive study will enable the state to hold large businesses accountable if they irresponsibly neglect to provide their employees with sufficient health care and effectively force them into a the state's subsidized health care system," said Van Drew (D-Cape May). "These reports would compel corporate accountability and help protect taxpayer interests."

The issue of large employers skirting their health care responsibilities and dumping workers into NJ FamilyCare was given light by a New Jersey Policy Perspective Report -- 'Attention Shoppers: You pay the Health Insurance Bills for Some of New Jersey's Largest Employees."

The NJPP report found that some of the largest and most profitable retailers in the state also have the largest numbers of employees and families covered by NJ FamilyCare. NJPP identified Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Wakefern Food Corp/ShopRite, A&P and Home Depot as four of the state's largest employers that have large numbers of employees in the NJ FamilyCare program.

The measure would require DHS to provide an annual report by February 1 to the Governor and Legislative Committees. The comprehensive study would not include the names of FamilyCare enrollees and would be used to evaluate the decline in employer-provided health insurance statewide.

The measure was released 7 to 0 and now goes to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post it for a floor vote.

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