Too often in past contract campaigns, both at Rutgers and across higher education nationwide, healthcare for adjuncts is not meaningfully bargained for. Any college or university (employer) could, and we believe should, directly bargain with its adjuncts to give them access to affordable employer covered healthcare. Most simply choose not because adjuncts are treated as disposable. Some adjunct unions have even stopped attempting to bargain at the table for healthcare. Even here at Rutgers healthcare was not seriously discussed at the bargaining table in 2019.

Is our union doing the same thing now? 

No! We believe healthcare is a basic human right. This past year our contract campaign was more than a slogan. No longer is healthcare going to be repeated every four years during contract campaigns and then nothing gets done. We’re determined to get affordable healthcare for adjuncts whether at the bargaining table or through legislation in Trenton.

Sounds complicated and difficult, right? 

It is. Very complicated. Adjuncts in the state of New Jersey are offered healthcare via their employment at either a public 2 or 4 year university or college. Since 2003, any adjunct who is enrolled in PERS (Public Employees’ Retirement System) or ABP (Alternative Benefit Plan) can “buy into” the SHBP (State Health Benefit Program).

So wait, you’re saying adjuncts can get healthcare through their employer?

Technically yes, but this has always been cost prohibitive. The cost to buy into SHBP (State Health Benefit Program) as dictated by Chapter 172 states “If an eligible employee elects to enroll and purchase coverage, the employee must pay the full cost of the coverage.” Coverage costs for “part time” employees can be found here. Current rates are over $900 per month for a single person. 

But that’s ridiculous for state employees–teachers no less!?

We agree. That’s why we’re taking the fight statewide for all adjuncts in New Jersey! The NJ legislature must take action to fix an injustice to adjuncts that has been going on for far too long. 

But what about the Affordable Care Act? Surely that must have helped adjuncts right?

The passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010-2012 did improve some aspects for adjuncts nationwide but in New Jersey there was a short period where Chapter 172 actually prevented adjuncts from purchasing healthcare on the open market due to their “eligibility” to buy into the New Jersey SHBP. It was a classic case of Catch-22. Eventually New Jersey created its own state marketplace called GetCoveredNJ, but there are still significant gaps in coverage for adjuncts. Gold level plans that are comparable to NJDirect15 (the most popular plan on SHBP) are well over $600 per month for an individual who earns $40,000. 

In addition, many less expensive GetCoveredNJ Plans have high deductibles and given the wage increases we won in our last contract, adjuncts who buy insurance on GetCoveredNJ could see their wage increases erased by healthcare costs if changes are not made at the state level. In addition, in 2022 the State of New Jersey raised rates for public employees by 24% so even the few Rutgers adjuncts who manage to teach so much they meet they get employer coverage, their costs will too will rise with our pay increases. 

So.. the system is broken?

Yes. That’s why we’re partnering with our sibling NJ Public College and Universities to fix this broken system. Healthcare costs are too high not just for adjuncts but for every public employee and everyday citizen in the state of New Jersey. 

Can an adjunct ever get coverage (for less than $900 per month) through their employer based on the number of courses they teach? 

The answer is yes. Currently, if you teach the requisite number of hours (30 hours per week or more) based on the look back method, you will be eligible. Under current IRS guidelines the employer determines each employee’s full-time status by looking back at a defined period of not less than three but not more than 12 consecutive calendar months, as chosen by the employer (the measurement period), to determine whether during the measurement period the employee averaged at least 30 hours of service per week. Your contribution to the cost is determined by your income level. However, that’s only for Rutgers adjuncts.

How do I know if I meet the 30 hour rule at Rutgers? 

That’s tricky. Far more than it should be.For each credit hour taught, Rutgers uses 3 additional hours to calculate hours worked. For instance, one 3 Credit course multiplied times 3 hours equals 9 hours. 3 courses equals 27 hours—-conveniently just under 30 hours per week. Put another way, you have to teach a lot of classes at Rutgers to get access to SHBP and because Rutgers can use a period from 3-12 months for lookback, they can deny eligibility depending on which period of time they choose to look back. We know of one adjunct whose coverage was canceled because Rutgers averaged their hours worked to 29.47. 

Isn’t that morally reprehensible and just plain wrong?

Yes. That’s why were determined to educate the public about this and to make sure the system gets changed, 

What about everyone else? What if I work at other NJ state colleges or universities?

Other schools have limits on the number of courses that adjuncts can teach to keep adjuncts under the ACA 30 hour rule. Also, some schools in New Jersey use only 2.25 hours, or 3 credits x 2.25 to calculate hours worked, That’s just 6.75 hours for community college professors. Adjuncts work far more than 6.75 or even the 9 hours per week Rutgers allows. In other words adjuncts are being prevented from getting affordable healthcare because colleges and universities are allowed to vastly undervalue  our work by under-calculating the number of hours we work per week. 

While we are encouraged by legislation proposed last year because it would provide adjuncts who teach 24 credits across multiple state colleges and universities with access to SHBP, all this does is correctly codify some adjuncts as the full time state employees they already are. Other states such as Oregon and Washington enacted legislation where more adjuncts receive access to state healthcare benefits. We believe that’s what New Jersey adjuncts deserve as well. 

What can I do if I want to get involved to help?

We’re going to need everyone’s help to fix this problem. Perhaps our biggest problem is that too many people don’t know this is a problem. Many adjuncts, let alone the general public, have no idea how bad this system is. 

We need to educate our members, the general public, and our state legislature that the status quo cannot continue. Every student and parent paying for tuition at every state college and university in NJ needs to know their tuition dollars are not going to basic essentials like affordable healthcare for teachers. Call or write your legislature and demand affordable healthcare for adjuncts, and while you are at it, maybe demand affordable healthcare for everyone!