RELEASE: November 29, 2000

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TRENTON - Due to the overwhelming response to the new NJ FamilyCare health insurance program, the state is adding new phone lines and staff at eligibility processing centers while also placing new newspaper ads that will ask the public to be patient with the enrollment process.

The steps were announced today by Department of Human Services Commissioner Michele K.Guhl, who added that she has been extremely pleased with the response to the program. NJ FamilyCare provides health insurance for low- and moderate-income adults and children.

"We have received an extremely strong response to the ads featuring Governor Whitman, which aired last month," Guhl said. "Recently, we’ve been receiving almost 30,000 calls a week and sending out 1100 applications a day. Until we can get extra staff and phone lines in place, we may not be able to respond to these calls as quickly as we would like. We don’t want people to be frustrated if they experience some delays in enrolling in the program. We encourage uninsured families to continue to apply."

The state’s toll-free phone line, 1-800-701-0710, operates from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The Commissioner urged applicants to call during off-peak hours -- between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Applications can also be downloaded from the Web site, www.njfamilycare.org.

Since the program began accepting applications for adults in November, 36,800 adults have been enrolled, while more than 74,000 children have enrolled since the program began as NJ KidCare in 1998. Applications are being processed for another 31,000 adults. It is estimated that 125,000 adults and 157,000 children are eligible for the program.