A “heated battle” has developed between New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D), who is seeking reelection in November, and Republican challenger Chris Christie over mammography coverage under Christies health insurance proposal, the Newark StarLedger reports. According to the StarLedger, the debate began when Christie posted a video on his Web site proposing that lowcost insurance plans be exempt from state mandates that require coverage of certain benefits. Christie said the new option would appeal to “young people” who “may not need the chance to have every type of procedure thats available in the medical world.”
Corzine and his supporters say Christies proposal trivializes the importance of statemandated coverage for medical screenings, including mammograms. According to Corzines supporters, the proposal would undo a state law requiring insurers to pay for mammograms for women younger than age 40 who have a family history of breast cancer. In a statement, Corzine said that Christies proposal would allow barebones plans to forgo mandatory coverage for 24hour maternity stays a requirement stemming from a law that Corzine’s running mate, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D), sponsored. About twothirds of New Jersey residents with health insurance are unaffected because they are covered by selfinsured and federally regulated plans not subject to state mandates, according to the StarLedger.
In a followup video responding to the criticism, Christie called Corzine “a liar” and described how a mammogram helped save his mothers life by detecting a cancerous tumor. Christie said later, “Because I want to offer people other options that they knowingly can either pursue or not pursue, that does not make me anti any of the mandates that are covered under the insurance policies now. He added, “I am trying to get people to say if they want less expensive coverage that has less mandates, they should have the option to pick it. No one is going to be required to do it.”
Brigid Harrison, a Montclair State University political science professor, said the feud between Corzine and Christie over the mammogram issue helps define the differences in their approaches to health policy. “One person advocates for a mandatefree insurance system and one doesnt,” Harrison said. She added that focusing on mammogram coverage “enables Corzine to remind women voters, who tend to lean Democrat anyway, there is a difference between him and Christie” (Livio, Newark StarLedger, 8/23).
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