Hudson County officials warn HR1 changes could strip thousands of Medicaid/SNAP recipients; call for task force

Frank Monza, director of Hudson County Family Services, told commissioners the department has improved benefit processing but warned that state/federal policy changes will sharply increase case churn and remove many people from benefits if proactive measures are not taken.

Monza summarized recent performance gains—Medicaid timeliness reported at about 92% and the NJ FamilyCare backlog down to 47 cases from more than 10,000 two years ago—but quickly turned to the near‑term policy challenge. “The penalties for SNAP employment and training kicked in June 1st. We've seen this week alone several hundred closer to a thousand people removed from food stamp benefits,” Monza said, and he warned the county is preparing for more substantial Medicaid adjustments tied to re‑certification changes.

Why it matters: Officials said the policy changes will shift costs and care burdens to hospitals, federally qualified health centers and charity care programs, and could result in thousands losing coverage by January 1. One county official estimated roughly $2.5 billion in health‑system revenue could be affected statewide as enrollment and subsidy rules change.

Commissioners pressed for immediate action: requests included forming a county task force, closer coordination with the assignment judge to speed court staffing for the mental health diversion program, outreach to federally qualified health centers and community providers, and targeted public education to encourage residents to seek primary‑care alternatives before coverage losses materialize.

Programmatic responses discussed at the hearing included shifting more staff to Medicaid processing, seeking federal approval for automatic six‑month re‑certification where possible, and partnering with outside agencies for complex ABD (aged/blind/disabled) Medicaid cases. Monza said the prosecutor's office and courts are stakeholders in the diversion program and county leadership will follow up to avoid losing eligible participants while hiring and infrastructure are completed.

What happens next: Commissioners asked administration and departmental leaders to convene regularly, produce written status updates on vacancy fills and outreach plans, and identify grant and community‑based partners for case management and education work. No legislative action or budget vote was taken at the hearing.