November 1, 2005 A paper authored by Sherry Glied, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, provides an overview of the healthcare costs in New Jersey, and is the first of a three-part series on public health and medical coverage in the state. Findings of Dr. Glied's paper, "The Healthcare System of New Jersey 2005: A Snapshot," are featured on the inaugural website of the Hall Institute of Public Policy - New Jersey, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that explores issues of social, economic, educational, and cultural importance to New Jersey.

The paper describes the organization of healthcare financing and delivery in New Jersey, and assesses the outcomes of the State's healthcare system in terms of access, costs, and health status. According to Dr. Glied, "The high cost of care in New Jersey places a substantial burden on both the government and the private sector. Rising Medicaid costs, particularly associated with seniors and pharmaceutical coverage, continue to be a problem. While the State's population has good, but not exceptionally good, health status overall, there is considerable scope for improvement."

According to Dr. Glied, in a ranking of states healthcare systems, New Jersey would likely appear as a solid performer in the second tier of states. "While not a dramatic innovator it has taken a series of steps to expand coverage and has experimented with a variety of strategies to keep costs down," observes Dr. Glied. Particularly, she points to the state's hospital assistance program as a worthy innovation, targeting funds directly at needy patients rather than at the hospitals themselves.

"The most broadly studied health policy innovations in New Jersey have been the individual and small group health plans. But it has been highly debatable whether these plans have been successful or not, and legislators continue to ti
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Contact: Stephanie Berger
sb2247@columbia.edu
212-305-4372
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
2-Nov-2005

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