New Jersey to consider health plan to cover all

New York Times, March 18, 2008

A bipartisan group of legislators have unveiled a proposal that would require all New Jersey residents to have healthcare coverage within three years. If approved, New Jersey would become the fourth state to require universal health coverage, following Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. New Jersey's proposed plan would be funded by using small surpluses in NJ Family Care and Medicaid and revamping the costly and much-maligned system of Charity Care, under which the state reimburses hospitals for costs associated with caring for the poor.