Health
Optum Closes Nearly 90 Medical Offices in NJ – In early November, Optum announced it would close almost 90 medical offices in the state of New Jersey by the end of the month. Optum is among the largest medical office operators in New Jersey and across the country, providing services to thousands of New Jersey residents. In addition, Optum, a UnitedHealth subsidiary, also announced it will be laying off nearly 600 employees across its operations in the Garden State and will shutter behavioral health services in the state.
Attorney General Platkin Announces $100M Fraud Settlement with Horizon – Attorney General Matt Platkin announced the state of New Jersey has reached an agreement with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state’s largest health care insurer, for $100 million over allegations that the insurer fraudulently secured a contract in 2020 to deliver public employee health benefits and overcharged the state for years. These allegations stemmed from a years-long investigation which also uncovered that Horizon submitted more than 1,000 false claims, billing the higher amount and issuing inaccurate explanation of benefits statements. In addition to the $100 million settlement, Horizon also agreed to comply with strict monitoring and reporting requirements and cease all fraudulent billing.
Education
Senate Education Committee Advances Bill to Overhaul Charter Schools – On November 10, the New Jersey Senate Education Committee advanced bill S4713, which is considered to be the largest rewrite of New Jersey’s charter school rules since the 1990s. The bill would outright ban for-profit charter schools and would ban fully virtual charter schools. Key components of the bill would require that charter schools post meeting notices, annual reports, board members’ identities, and facility locations online. The legislation would also require the state to create a dedicated charter school transparency website, which would include such information as contracts with charter management organizations, 990 disclosure forms, and a list of charter schools on probation. The bill would also include requirements to charter schools’ trustees, specifically requiring at least one-third of trustees to live within a 30-mile radius of the charter school.
Public Administration
Gov. Murphy Announces Fourth Round of Clemency – On November 10, Gov. Phil Murphy announced his fourth round of clemency, granting 29 pardons and 19 commutations. This brings the cumulative total of clemency grants to 217, which is more than all New Jersey governors combined over the past 30 years according to the ACLU. In June 2024, Gov. Murphy signed Executive Order 362, which established the state’s first ever Clemency Advisory Board. As part of its responsibilities, the board reviews applications for pardons and commutations and provides recommendations to the governor regarding executive clemency actions. The Clemency Advisory Board prioritizes individuals with non-violent offenses with long periods of good conduct, survivors of domestic violence whose crimes were tied to their abuse, and people who went to trial and received sentences far harsher than their plea offers.
Women, Children, & Families
Advocates Urge State to Cover $30M Budget Gap for Low-Income Child-Care Program – On August 1st, New Jersey’s childcare assistance program stopped accepting new applications and raised copays for existing enrolled families after state lawmakers passed a budget bill for fiscal year 2026 and which included cuts to the program’s budget. Since then, various childcare advocates have urged the state to reallocate $30 million to cover the budget gap. The program serves about 70,000 children from infancy to age 13 (or age 19 for children with special needs) across New Jersey. Families with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level qualify for assistance, which for a family of three is approximately $53,000 a year. The state Department of Human Services administers the $876 million program and has reported that there are department officials who are “monitoring program expenses to determine if/when we can reopen enrollment.”