The NJ Spotlight Roundtable Series: The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on New Jersey's Healthcare System

Thursday, March 7

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Trenton Masonic Temple

Seating is limited/Lunch will be served

According to some estimates, expanding Medicaid eligibility in New Jersey could add 225,000 or more residents to the state's healthcare rolls. While the increased coverage will clearly benefit low-income children, individuals, and families, it also raises a number of challenges for a broad spectrum of healthcare providers and experts, including doctors, hospitals, and policymakers.

These critical concerns will be identified and addressed at the next NJ Spotlight Roundtable: The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on New Jersey's Healthcare System. They include: 

• The true cost/return of Medicaid expansion for New Jersey

Given that the state is facing a revenue shortfall, understanding the fiscal impact of Medicaid expansion is essential. 

• The effect of Medicaid expansion on healthcare providers

This issue is equally important for doctors (Medicaid pays significantly lower benefits than Medicare and private insurance) and hospitals (already overburdened by low-income patients using the ER for primary care).

This discussion will also address Medicaid expansion in light of New Jersey's looming shortfall of primary-care physicians.

• Medicaid expansion and the managed care model

Medicaid expansion could shunt tens of thousands of patients to managed care organizations (MCOs). Could this potential influx overwhelm MCO's carefully assembled provider networks, as well as case management, wellness incentives, and other features intended to hold down healthcare costs? 

Moderator: Andrew Kitchenman, healthcare writer, NJ Spotlight

Panelists include:

Sen. Joseph Vitale, chair, Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee

Raymond J. Castro, senior policy analyst, New Jersey Policy Perspective

Dr. Poonam Alaigh, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services; board member, Common Sense Institute of New Jersey

John Koehn, CEO, Amerigroup New Jersey, Inc

Suzanne Ianni, president and CEO, Hospital Alliance of New Jersey Inc.

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