CWA Statement on Plan Design Committee Proposal Ratings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2025
Contact: Anna-Marta Visky, Political & Field Director | [email protected] | 347-574-5665

CWA Statement on Plan Design Committee Proposal Ratings

TRENTON, NJ - AON, the actuary that services New Jersey’s State Health Benefits Plan, has submitted its report scoring the Plan Design Committee’s proposed rate hikes for 100,000 workers, retirees, and their family members. The report was sent to PDC reps, who are working through the established and agreed-upon process. 

Billy Gallagher, CWA District 1 Assistant to the Vice President, issued the following statement:

“This report should come as a surprise to no one—but it should anger every single taxpayer in the State of New Jersey. The current Administration and Legislative leadership have, at various times, tacitly allowed this affordability crisis to spiral out of control, or been the outright drivers of it, so it’s no surprise that the actuary hand-picked by the State would sign off on their own recommendations, ignoring or outright attempting to discredit good-faith proposals we’ve made to put a stop to this.

If you want to know what this Administration cares about, look at how AON scored its own recommendations that it fed to the State. Every proposal from the Unions to control and reduce prices was rejected, or not scored for “lack of information” from the insurance carriers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers. But every idea that shifts costs to workers while propping up the insane price increases charged by the carriers and PBMs—those ideas were scored favorably. 

The State Health Benefits Plan covers 400,000 workers, retirees, and their family-members who will be heading to the ballot box later this year and will be making some tough decisions about who they elect to lead this state following an administration that has allowed hospital systems and insurance companies to run rampant while working families bear the brunt. We need elected leaders in this state who will stand with us instead of undermine and work against us, and who will truly dedicate themselves to coming to solutions that don’t result in costs continuing to pile on taxpayers. 

This issue could not be more important, or the time could not be more urgent—especially now, as this report is released—for the Legislature to come back to Trenton and work to address the crisis."