North Bergen Insurance Coverage Info
Dear North Bergen Township,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
1. Total cost incurred by the Township of North Bergen for insurance coverage from Blue Cross Blue Shield (Current) vs. Aetna for all covered employees.
2. Current premiums under Blue Cross Blue Shield vs 2025 premiums under Aetna for single, parent & child, and family plans.
3. How much will be saved yearly by the Township of North Bergen by changing the insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield (Current) vs. Aetna.
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
John Q. Public
Dear John Q. Public:
The Township of North Bergen (“Township”) writes in response to your December 1, 2024 request made pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (“OPRA”).
You requested: “1. Total cost incurred by the Township of North Bergen for insurance coverage from Blue Cross Blue Shield (Current) vs. Aetna for all covered employees.”
The Township has no record responsive to this request; the Aetna Plan does not commence until 2025. See attached record containing costs incurred for coverage in 2024 under Horizon.
You also requested: “2. Current premiums under Blue Cross Blue Shield vs 2025 premiums under Aetna for single, parent & child, and family plans.”
The Township’s insurance plan is self-insured, not premium-based. See attached records for premium equivalents.
3. How much will be saved yearly by the Township of North Bergen by changing the insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield (Current) vs. Aetna.
Any records responsive to this request would be exempt pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1 (inter-agency or intra-agency advisory, consultative or deliberative material). Notwithstanding this exemption, the Township anticipates that it will save $1.9 million annually.
As with any OPRA request, you have the right to challenge the decision by the Township. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government records Council (“GRC”) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at its web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in Hudson County.
Erin Barillas, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Blvd.
North Bergen, NJ 07047
e: [North Bergen Township request email]
o: 201-392-2024
f: 201-330-7694
www.northbergen.org