New Jersey is the latest state to jump on the universal care bandwagon:

The fundamental aspect of the plan is the expansion of the state's HMO-style health care program FamilyCare to include parents earning up tp twice the poverty level, or about $42,000 a year for a family of four. The legislation also mandates coverage for all children through privately paid or public programs such as FamilyCare within one year of enactment.

Within three years the plan is expected to cost $68 million a year. Anyone want to take bets on how low this figure will prove to be? The fact that this program will cost much more than anticipated is illustrated by the shaky grasp of health care economics demonstrated by the bill's sponsor:

With roughly 96 percent of charity care funds — state aid given to hospitals for uninsured patients — covering parents who would be covered under the FamilyCare's expansion, Vitale said the cost of the program will be offset by a reduction in state money to this fund by eliminating unnecessary emergency room visits.

As Linda Gorman points out, the uninsured aren't really to blame for high emergency room usage. In fact, those on public programs (like the one being expanded in New Jersey) are over-represented in emergency room usage. It stands to figure that emergency room usage may actually go up due to this law, not down, and the savings imagined by Mr. Vitale will not materialize. 

At least some in the state understand the dangers of such a system:

"We've made health insurance unaffordable for families because of an over-regulated market," said Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, who said choice in the private market should be expanded. "The cure is not to expand government; that's the cause of problems."