Not content to wait for the state budget to pass in late June, the Department of Human Services is alerting about 200,000 Medicaid recipients—many with developmental or mental disabilities—that they will be required to enroll in an HMO. Gov. Christie's administration anticipates the move will save $41 million in the budget year that begins July 1. But at least one advocacy group is worried people with complicated medical histories will be forced to find new doctors or new drugs, disrupting their care. "We understand about shared sacrifice. But the time frame is too rapid for people to really understand what's happening and to make a choice," said Beverly Roberts a director at The Arc of New Jersey. "There are concerns about people with the most complex conditions. They have to pick one HMO for all their needs."
