Chris Christie : "It’s simple. We are putting people first,” Christie said in a speech before the legislature unveiling his budget. “Which is why, after considerable discussion and research, I have decided to participate in the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act."

Excerpts :

“Let me be clear, refusing these federal dollars does not mean that they won’t be spent,” he said. “It just means that they will be used to expand health care access in New York, Connecticut, Ohio or somewhere else. … In fact, [New Jersey] taxpayers will save approximately $227 million in fiscal year 2014 alone.”

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The expansion is projected to add 300,000 New Jerseyans to the Medicaid rolls, according to the New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal-leaning think tank, and bring in $1.7 billion to the state’s economy. Medicaid currently covers 1 million residents in the state.

Talking Points Memo
Chris Christie Embraces Medicaid Expansion: ‘We Are Putting People First’
By Sahil Kapur
February 26, 2013,



Chris Christie Embraces Medicaid Expansion: ‘We Are Putting People First’


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