America’s fourth-smallest state in area but its most densely populated, New Jersey is ethnically and linguistically diverse. Only about 69 percent of New Jerseyans use English as a primary language. New Jersey is traditionally a Republican state. However, the social climate of The Garden State tends to be more liberal, and since 1992, Democratic candidates for president have garnered New Jersey’s electoral votes. New Jersey had no official position on the Affordable Care Act when the law was challenged in the Supreme Court, but the state did opt to expand Medicaid under the ACA’s guidelines.
Enrollment Through the Years
New Jerseyans use the federal marketplace to enroll in ACA plans. Over the last three enrollment cycles, signups in New Jersey have steadily increased.
- 254,316 New Jerseyans enrolled in 2015
- 288,573 New Jerseyans enrolled in 2016
- 295,067 New Jerseyans enrolled in 2017
In 2017, there were 96,196 new enrollees from New Jersey in ACA insurance plans. Re-enrollments totaled 198,871. New Jersey’s most-enrolled demographic in 2017 was the older adult population aged 55-64.
New Jersey expanded its coverage of Medicaid, the federal health care program that covers low-income Americans. The number of people added to the insured rate by Medicaid expansion in the state is 562,800.
Cost Assistance
Some New Jersey enrollees who choose an ACA health care plan are eligible for cost assistance. Those enrollees must earn 100 to 400 percent of the poverty limit set by the federal government. New Jerseyans who earn no more than 250 percent of the federal poverty limit and are enrolled in silver-level health care plans might also be eligible for cost-sharing reductions (CSRs).
In 2017, 63 percent of New Jerseyans who were enrolled in an ACA health plan received cost assistance in the form of federal subsidies. The subsidies reduce the costs of their monthly premiums. In the same year, 36 percent of New Jerseyans enrolled in marketplace plans received CSRs.
Carrier Participation & Plan Availability
New Jersey had three participating insurance carriers in the ACA marketplace in 2017, and there will be at least three insurers offering plans in 2018. In 2017, New Jersey carriers offered 454 different health insurance plans. Plans usually vary from county to county within the same state, so not everyone in New Jersey will have access to the same types of plans.
Note: The information provided on this page is constantly being updated with the latest statistical data available. Check back soon for updates.
