Thornton Cites ACA for Overload of Applicants

RIO GRANDE – A consequence of the Affordable Care Act has impacted Cape May County Board of Social Services. As of June 20, there were 1,684 applications awaiting processing for health insurance. The number swelled from former Family Medicaid, awaiting processing, were added many Affordable Care Act health insurance applications.
Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton informed other freeholders July 8. He believes the county is not alone carrying its added, unfunded burden due to the federal government’s movement into health care. He earlier voiced concern over the problem to the South Jersey Freeholders Association June 23. That group represents government officials from eight southern counties.
Thornton also contacted John Donnadio, executive director of N.J. Association of Counties June 27. That organization represents all 21 counties. Thornton would like to see if, united, the state’s counties can get aid from the federal government to offset costs associated with the extra ACA workload.
“The Social Service board is feeling the pressure that employees at Social Services are having with the Affordable Care Act,” Thornton said July 8. “It’s a federal program that happened to be dumped on counties to sign up people on the Affordable Care Act. We are not short staffed, but with the numbers and the economy, we are up 23-24 percent, and that got the staff overburdened. On top of that we have 1,684 applications as of June 20. We can’t tolerate it when the feds dump on us.”
“We need at least three more employees and we don’t have the money (to hire more). We are under a 2 percent cap on the budget,” Thornton said.
Sara E. Maloney, acting deputy director, Board of Social Services, confirmed the situation. When the ACA went into force in January, all those who were covered under Family Medicaid became covered by ACA. “People who were not eligible before are eligible now, and that increased the applications,” Maloney said.
Single individuals and couples are now able to get health insurance under provisions of the act, she noted. Also, under the federal “marketplace” applications “filter to us to determine eligibility for the clients,” she said.
Meanwhile, Maloney said the federal government is working with the state to improve the system.
Many persons have applied on-line; county residents may apply in person at the Social Services Building here, Maloney said.
While the number of applicants and workload increased, “It did not come with any additional funding,” for staffing, Maloney said.
Three workers have been shifted from other duties into the Adult Medicaid Unit, which processes the applications. “That takes them from other processing work,” she added. “If we had three additional people we could handle Affordable Care Act.”
That is in addition to the board’s handling:
SNAP, (food stamp program), which is New Jersey’s supplemental nutritional assistance program that can help low-income families buy groceries needed to eat healthy.)
General Assistance, New Jersey is one of only a few states that also provides cash benefits and support services to individuals and couples with no dependent children, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).