New Jersey lawmakers advance bill that would require income verification of all state-funded health insurance program applicants

A New Jersey Assembly committee on Thursday approved a bill that would require state authorities to conduct income verification checks on individuals applying for state-funded health insurance coverage, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

Under the legislation, residents applying for state-funded health insurance coverage would be required to submit pay stubs from present and past employers and all other sources of income. In addition, the state would match the applicant's data with state labor and income tax records.

The bill, which already has cleared Senate committees, was introduced after a recent state audit found that some residents with annual incomes as much as $295,000 had enrolled in state-subsidized health insurance programs (AP/Long Island Newsday, 6/5).