New Jersey Individual and Family Health Insurance

Compare various New Jersey individual health insurance plans throughout the state, including the metropolitan areas of Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Toms River, Edison, Trenton, Camden, Clifton, and Cherry Hill.

The State of Affairs of New Jersey’s Health Insurance

New Jersey spent a total of $50.4 billion in 2004 on healthcare expenditures, allocating the largest expenses of funds towards hospitalization care, as well as professional and physician services.  Considering that New Jersey’s healthcare costs continue to rise by 6% annually, residents must access affordable health insurance coverage. 

The Garden State is the home to more than 8.5 million residents. About 20% of New Jersey residents have Medicaid and/or Medicare coverage.  Approximately 60% or 5.2 million individuals enjoy New Jersey individual health insurance coverage through their workplace.  On average, employees with New Jersey small business health insurance pay an average premium of $894 for single coverage and $2,936 for family health insurance plans.

With unemployment rates rising, healthcare coverage through employers will decrease, leaving many residents of New Jersey without individual health insurance plans. Luckily, affordable New Jersey health plans with low premiums can be obtained from various health insurance providers. To find and compare such health plans, InsureMonkey is prepared to be on your side as your health insurance agent.  

New Jersey Health Insurance Providers

New Jersey’s High Risk Insurance Pool

Unfortunately, in New Jersey, there is no high-risk pool program that would allow residents with pre-existing conditions to receive individual health insurance plans. Typically, private New Jersey insurance providers have declined these residents because of their medical conditions. With the rising medical costs, these residents in New Jersey are looking into a bleak future.

However, the new focus on healthcare may change the landscape in New Jersey. Health insurance providers, with incentives from the government, will find it beneficial to provide coverage for these residents who have been ignored by the state government’s healthcare programs.

For updates on New Jersey individual health insurance plans, contact the Department of Banking and Insurance 1-800-446-7467 or visit the website at http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/ihcseh/index.html.


New Jersey’s Uninsured

According to the Urban Institute and the Kaiser Commission, who conducted a national 2006 – 2007 survey, the uninsured population in New Jersey totals more than 1.3 million. About 22% of uninsured individuals, or more than 293,000, are uninsured children.

A typical health insurance plan in New Jersey costs more than $5,000 a year. With the economic crisis, this amount is becoming prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, New Jersey provides generous coverage for their publicly funded health insurance programs. But not all residents can qualify.

To help New Jersey residents find affordable health insurance plans and to reduce the number of the uninsured, InsureMonkey presents comprehensive information about the various insurance plans that are available in the state.


New Jersey SCHIP

The New Jersey Family Care is the state’s version of SCHIP, a low-cost health insurance plan for uninsured children younger than 18 years old. Unlike Medicaid, the NJ Family Care provides coverage for those who have higher income brackets.

Eligibility for a child’s coverage must meet the income requirements of 350% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) as of January 2009. This is equivalent to an annual income of $61,600. Eligibility for parents must be 200% of the FPL or $35,200. If a family does not meet these income limits, they may obtain help through the NJ Family Care Advantage, in which there is a monthly premium of $143 per month for every child.

For more information about New Jersey’s various health plans for children, dial 1-800-637-2997 or visit the website at http://www.njfamilycare.org/index.html. To apply, download an application form from the website and send the completed form to the nearest office of the Department of Human Services. The application can also be filled out online. For assistance in applying, call 1-800-701-0710.


Medicaid in New Jersey

The Medicaid Program in New Jersey, which began in 1970, has now served more than a million residents of the state. Besides the basic eligibility requirements for New Jersey Medicaid, a beneficiary must also belong to one of these four categories:

•    Children
•    Pregnant women
•    Families with children up to 18
•    People who are aged, blind, or permanently disabled.

In New Jersey, the Medicaid Program has these income eligibility requirements:

•    Children
      o    Infants Ages 0-1:  $35,200 or 200% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Children Ages 1-5:  $23,408 or 133% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Children Ages 6-19:  $23,408 or 133% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
•    Parents
      o    Non-Working:  $35,200 or 200% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Working:  $35,200 or 200% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
•    Women
      o    Pregnant women: $35,200 or 200% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009

For more information about Medicaid, visit the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services of the Department of Human Services at http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmahs/dhsmed.html. Information can also be obtained by calling the New Jersey Medicaid Call Center at 1-800-356-1561.

To apply for Medicaid coverage in New Jersey, a resident must consult the individual eligibility and service manuals for each category, which are found at http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmahs/manuals.html.


(Facts throughout this page provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation at www.statehealthfacts.org and by The New Health Insurance Solution at www.tnhis.com.  Commentary provided by InsureMonkey.)

State Resources

Department of Health and Senior Services
Website: http://www.state.nj.us/health/
Phone: (609) 292-7837

Department of Children and Families
Website: http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/
Phone: 1-800-331-3937

Department of Human Services
Website: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/
Phone: 609-292-3717

Department of Insurance
Website: http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/
Phone: 800-838-0935

Governor's Office
Website: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/
Phone: 609-292-6000