New Jersey will be getting just a fraction of the federal dollars New York is receiving for a key component of Obamacare—cadres of specially trained workers who will help consumers sign up for insurance coverage.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, embraced Obamacare, while Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, didn’t. So of the two states only New York applied for federal grants for "navigators"—agents who will go out to public libraries, shopping malls and other places to introduce consumers to the new “health exchanges” where the uninsured can buy insurance.
The squeaky wheel got the grease: Albany is getting $27 million, while Trenton is expected to get one-eighteenth of that, or $1.5 million, in grants that will be announced today.
For more on this story, click on the "play" button above. For more information about health care exchanges, go to our frequently asked questions page.
UPDATE: New Jersey ended up getting slightly more money for navigators thank initially expected--just over $2 million. It will be split among five groups. Click here for details.