ASSEMBLY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND INSURANCE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1841

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 15, 2025

      The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1841.

      As amended, this bill requires health, hospital, and medical service corporations, health maintenance organizations, and commercial group health insurers to provide coverage for an annual prostate cancer screening without cost sharing in accordance with the latest nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines.  Under current law, these health insurance carriers are required only to provide coverage for an annual medically recognized diagnostic examination including, but not limited to, a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen test for men age 50 and over who are asymptomatic and for men age 40 and over with a family history of prostate cancer or other prostate cancer risk factors. 

      The bill also extends the prostate cancer screening requirements to commercial individual health insurers, health benefits plans issued pursuant to the New Jersey Individual Health Coverage and Small Employer Health Benefits Programs, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which are not required to provide this coverage under current law.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  state that the annual prostate cancer screening will be conducted in accordance with the latest nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines;

      (2)  remove the definition of “prostate cancer screening”; and

      (3)  make certain technical changes.