Governor Murphy Formally Creates State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force, Appoints Commissioner Carole Johnson as Chair
Today, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 31, formally creating the State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force that he announced at the end of May. He also appointed Carole Johnson, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, as Chair of the Task Force. Johnson will oversee the Task Force, developing and implementing strategic policies to achieve efficiencies in health benefits by working with stakeholders.
“Commissioner Johnson’s leadership will ensure quality health outcomes by identifying new ways to get the best value for our health care dollars through New Jersey’s health benefits system,” said Governor Murphy. “She and the rest of the Task Force will approach this issue from a number of different perspectives and I look forward to reviewing their recommendations.”
“I look forward to working with the diverse leaders on this important Task Force to ensure that New Jersey’s public employees have high quality health care coverage that is a good value for enrollees and for taxpayers,” said Carole Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Human Services and Chair of the State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force. “Health care coverage is vitally important to a strong and productive workforce and, as Chair of the Task Force, I am anxious to work with employees, their representatives, state leaders, localities, researchers, policy experts and others.”
The State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Plan (SEHBP) together cover over 800,000 active and retired members in New Jersey and their costs account for 8.4 percent of the overall State Budget. The Task Force will identify short and long-term solutions to improve the system.
The first meeting of the State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force will be held next week. Following the meeting, the Task Force will offer opportunities for recommendations from members of the public.
Members of the State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force include:
State government experts
- Department of Treasury (Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio)
- Department of Banking and Insurance (Commissioner Marlene Caride)
- State Comptroller’s Office (Comptroller Philip J. Degnan)
- Department of Human Services, Chair of State Health Benefits Quality and Value Task Force (Commissioner Carole Johnson)
Health policy/ procurement experts
- America’s Agenda (Mark Blum)
- Princeton’s State Health and Value Strategies (Heather Howard)
- Rutgers Center for State Health Policy (Joel Cantor)
- Seton Hall Center for Health Law and Pharmaceutical Policy (John Jacobi)
Unions, employers
- Communications Workers of America (Hetty Rosenstein)
- New Jersey Education Association (Kevin Kelleher)
- AFSCME (Steve Tully)
- American Federation of Teachers (Donna M. Chiera)
- International Association of Fire Fighters (Pete Nowak)
- Policemen’s Benevolent Association (Kevin Lyons)
- NJ League of Municipalities (Michael Cerra)
- NJ Schools Boards Association (Jonathan Pushman)