Have healthcare costs stopped or delayed you from seeking medical care for yourself or a family member? Members responding to that question last week offered insightful and often troubling responses about the many problems with state health insurance. The prompt remains live at Health Insurance Follow Up One Question Survey – Union of Rutgers Administrators and responses will continue to be tracked, ahead of contract negotiations with Rutgers and advocacy at the state level.
A majority (60%) of respondent as of Friday indicated that costs had played a factor and offered telling comments about the crisis of medical costs in this country. Some, like Lori Nardoza on Cook Campus report delaying appointments to account for increasing costs. Others, such as Jenean Wicker of RBS in Newark said she is concerned about losing access to specialists. “I truly hope changes through this year do not negatively impact my family’s quality of medical care,” said Wicker.
Members facing chronic and sometimes debilitating illnesses face the double burden of trying to maintain coverage while undergoing treatment. Katie Parrish, who works on Douglass, had long COVID and Lyme disease, putting her on disability for nine months and forcing her to pay $870 per month for coverage. Still, she was denied specialized testing. “It wasn’t until January 2026 that I was able to afford recommended testing and discovered two additional infections,” said Parrish.
Even treatment for common conditions can be unnecessarily delayed, according to Donna Robertson, who works on the Camden Campus. “It took over a year to get approval for Repatha,” she said, adding “co-pay adds up fast as well.”
Other members expressed concerns about the high costs of health insurance and gaps in coverage.
“Costs have impacted my family and now that things are changing in July, those changes will certainly impact me from getting the care I need,” said Sarah Christiansen, who works off campus in Cream Ridge.
Within the span of many URA members careers, public workers frequently carried comprehensive health insurance for our families, while spouses and dependents worked in more lucrative businesses with less generous benefits. That framework has shifted over time.
While some younger members reported being able to stay on parents’ insurance, some such as Steven Levenson on Cook, switched to a spouse’s health plan. “I had NJ Direct 15 back when it was free,” said Levenson, who started at Rutgers in 1991. He expressed ongoing concern about decreasing coverage and increasing costs without accompanying raises. “We shouldn’t have to trade getting lower coverage just to be able to afford insurance,” Levenson said.
John Muth at RBS in Piscataway said medical costs haven’t prevented him from seeking care. However “my answer would likely be different if I was afflicted with a serious illness of mishap,” Muth said. “I find the increasing costs to be very concerning.”
Find the survey on the URA site at Health Insurance Follow Up One Question Survey – Union of Rutgers Administrators and share your experiences. The results and testimony (whether you agree to it being public or not) will help guide efforts at the bargaining table with Rutgers and in advocacy at the state level to fix the many problems within SHBP.
