TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s attempt to use $300 million of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield’s $3 billion surplus to pay for opiate addiction treatment (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed an executive order requiring state agencies to publish orders and decisions online, a move apparently aimed at the state’s biggest health insurer.
Friday’s order follows his announcement this week that the insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, was fined $15.5 million by the Department of Human Services for Medicaid contract violations.
Christie wants to use $300 million of Horizon’s $3 billion surplus to combat opioid addiction. Horizon opposes the plan.
The executive order is to apply retroactively.
Christie on Friday said the order will “prevent repeat offenders like Horizon from hiding behind their vaults of money.”
A Horizon spokesman didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.
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10:30 a.m.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s months-long effort to tap into reserves of the state’s biggest health insurer to finance opioid addiction treatment is being met with resistance in the Democrat-led Assembly.
Christie put forward the proposal to use $300 million of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield’s surplus to pay for opiate addiction treatment as part of his budget address to the Legislature.
But Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto seemed to close the door on the idea on Thursday.
Prieto says it’s a bad bill that won’t be part of the budget.
Christie and lawmakers face a June 30 deadline to enact a balanced budget.
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