AFSCME Calls for Immediate Relief Ahead of Health Plan Reforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2025

AFSCME Council 63 Responds to Senate President Scutari’s Call for Health Plan Reforms: Immediate Relief Must Come First

TRENTON, NJ – In response to Monday’s NJ.com editorial by Senate President Nicholas Scutari outlining potential reforms to the State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP), AFSCME Council 63 is calling for urgent, immediate action to stabilize the plan before long-term solutions can be effectively implemented.

Director Steve Tully of AFSCME Council 63 issued the following statement:

"We appreciate Senate President Scutari’s recognition that the State Health Benefits Plan requires serious and substantive long term reforms. AFSCME and the public employees we represent have been sounding the alarm for years that the SHBP needs common sense reforms that will benefit both the taxpayers and workers. We look forward to sharing these common sense reforms with the Senate’s Special Work Group.

However, while this is a positive step, the cold hard reality is that there must be relief now to stabilize the plan so that long-term reforms can be effectively implemented. Unions are proposing just that relief now and we urge the Senate to demonstrate its commitment to real reform by providing immediate relief to stabilize the health benefits plan.

The taxpayers and the workers deserve nothing less."

AFSCME Council 63 represents more than 20,000 public employees across New Jersey, many of whom are already bearing the brunt of steep health benefit cost increases. Without short-term relief, long-term reform efforts may be too little, too late.

Media Contact:
Jeffrey Trout
Director of Communications
AFSCME Council 63

communications@afscmenj.org