This bill would stop hospitals in New Jersey from charging patients a facility fee for services provided at their outpatient facilities. It directly affects patients receiving care at hospital outpatient departments and hospitals themselves. The law defines a facility fee as a charge meant to cover hospital operational expenses that is separate from a doctor's professional fee, and prohibits hospitals from billing or seeking payment for this fee for outpatient services. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to evaluate hospitals for compliance with federal price transparency rules. It gives the department authority to monitor hospitals through complaint reviews, website audits, and analysis of noncompliance reports. If a hospital is found noncompliant, the department can issue warnings, demand corrective action plans, or impose civil monetary penalties that are published online. The bill also mandates that the department submit an annual report on hospital compliance to the Governor and Legislature.
This bill amends New Jersey's Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund eligibility rules. It clarifies that volunteer EMTs receiving "length of service awards" from their ambulance squads remain eligible for training fund reimbursements. The bill updates the definition of "volunteer emergency medical technician" to exclude full-time hospital employees and revises service requirements to require at least 12 service calls or 150 duty hours annually during the initial certification period. It also expands the definition of "public or private institution of higher education" to include out-of-state schools and exempts EMTs leaving for college from repaying training funds.
This New Jersey bill requires health insurance plans sold in the state and the Medicaid program to cover specific family planning and reproductive health services without any out-of-pocket costs for enrollees. It mandates no deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance for services including abortion (both aspiration and medication types), emergency care for mothers/newborns, contraception counseling, genetic testing, inpatient care for mothers and infants, well-baby visits, and ultrasounds. The coverage applies to all in-network providers under insurance contracts and Medicaid, but excludes childbirth services. Religious employers may still qualify for exemptions under existing law.
This bill requires all newly constructed police stations, fire stations, and hospitals in New Jersey to install a secure, alarmed compartment (a "newborn safety device") for parents to safely leave newborns. Parents who leave a baby under 30 days old in the device (or with an adult employee at these facilities) without intending to return cannot be prosecuted for child abandonment. The facility must then transport the baby to a hospital emergency department, and the hospital must notify child protection services within one business day. This applies only to newly built facilities and does not change existing laws for older buildings.
This New Jersey bill (A 966) requires the Commissioner of Health to create a public awareness campaign focused on improving maternal and child health outcomes, with a specific emphasis on equitable care across all racial and ethnic groups. The campaign will provide accessible information through a dedicated Department of Health website, including hospital data on cesarean births and breastfeeding rates to help women choose care providers, promote birth plan documentation in medical records, and share guidance on avoiding unnecessary interventions like early inductions. It also educates the public on maternal health services, breastfeeding rights, pregnancy discrimination protections, and Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women. The campaign directly affects pregnant individuals, new mothers, and healthcare providers in New Jersey by making key maternity care information more transparent and actionable.
This New Jersey bill (A 1941) requires most health insurance plans sold in the state to cover hearing aids. It directly affects health insurers and policyholders by mandating coverage for one hearing aid per ear every 48 months (4 years) when prescribed by a licensed audiologist or hearing aid dispenser. The policy limits out-of-pocket costs to no more than 15% of the hearing aid's price, including copays or deductibles. This applies to hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, health service corporations, group and individual health insurance policies, HMOs, and health benefits plans. The bill does not cover hearing aids for cosmetic purposes, only medically necessary ones.
This bill requires all New Jersey municipalities to provide basic life support (BLS) ambulance services to meet community needs, designating BLS as an essential service. It specifies five ways municipalities can arrange these services: licensing private companies, contracting with public/private entities, creating mutual aid agreements with other towns, partnering with hospitals, or using existing fire/EMS departments. The law defines BLS as pre-hospital care including CPR, wound stabilization, and emergency transport. This policy change ensures consistent access to emergency medical care across the state by making BLS a mandatory municipal responsibility.
This bill increases the Supplemental Graduate Medical Education (GME) Subsidy by $496,000 in the FY2026 state budget to fund a 15th acute care hospital with a residency program. It directly affects hospitals ranked by Medicaid revenue ratio (RMP), expanding eligibility from 14 to 15 hospitals - the 15th hospital receives $496,000 while the existing 14 hospitals maintain their current subsidy amounts. The subsidy is calculated based on a hospital’s Medicaid revenue percentage using 2023 cost reports, with funds allocated to the top 15 hospitals meeting the RMP criteria. This change aligns the appropriations act with prior law (P.L.2018, c.116), which intended to cover one-third of eligible hospitals (now 15 of 45), reversing a prior 14-hospital cap.
S 3523 establishes a 36-month pilot program to expand access to mental health care for children aged 5-14 in New Jersey. The bill directs the Department of Human Services to modify NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rules, allowing partial hospitalization services (intensive outpatient mental health treatment) to be provided at non-hospital locations instead of requiring hospital settings. One provider must be selected to participate, meeting specific criteria including exclusive service to this age group and approval through the Children’s System of Care. The program requires a final report to the Governor and Legislature within 36 months, evaluating clinical and budgetary outcomes before potential expansion. This change aims to increase access to lower-cost, structured care while leveraging federal Medicaid funds.
