ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2839

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 24, 2022

      The Assembly Health Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2839.

      As amended by the committee, this bill places a flat cap on the out-of-pocket contribution for any covered person prescribed a rapid-acting, long-acting, or pre-mixed insulin product, an epinephrine auto-injector device, or a prescription asthma inhaler across insurance providers.  Coverage for these items may not be subject to any deductible, and copayments or coinsurance are capped at $35 per 30-day supply of insulin, $25 for epinephrine auto-injector devices per 30-day supply, and $50 for prescription asthma inhalers per 30-day supply.

      These coverage standards apply to individual or group hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, and health service corporations as well as individual and group health insurance policies and health maintenance organizations.  Additionally, the bill extends these coverage standards to individual and small employer health benefits plans and require that the State Health Benefits Commission and the School Employee’s Health Benefits Commission ensure that their contracts comply with the coverage standards.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

     The committee amended the bill to:

     (1)   specify that coverage for insulin under the bill means rapid acting, long-acting, and pre-mixed insulin products; and

     (2)   require that the provisions of the bill apply to catastrophic plans to the maximum extent permitted by federal law.