The Affordable Care Act offers unique benefits for the uninsured
and helps New Jersey take strides in mending our troubled
economy. Expanding Medicaid will give over 300,000 uninsured New
Jerseyans access to health coverage. Currently, one in four New
Jersey adults without dependents does not have health coverage.
Additionally, small businesses in New Jersey would be more
readily capable of providing health insurance to their
employees. This would give our state a competitive edge in
retaining and gaining employees over neighboring states without
Medicaid expansion. Without Medicaid expansion, many of New
Jersey’s small businesses will still only be able to provide
half of their staff with health coverage. Expansion will also
help to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance
coverage. As it stands, 33 percent of Hispanics and 24 percent
of African Americans are uninsured. These rates more than double
the 10 percent of uninsured white New Jerseyans. Medicaid
expansion is crucial to those who nee