Healthcare

Requires insurers to cover the substitution of a brand name prescription drug when the federal food and drug administration has declared that there is a supply issue with a generic drug.

This bill (A 565) prohibits the establishment of new for-profit hospices and bans capacity increases for existing for-profit hospices. It applies to all approvals after the law takes effect, directly affecting for-profit hospice providers and their expansion plans. The law requires new hospice facilities to operate as non-profits and prevents existing for-profit hospices from growing their services. This represents a concrete change in healthcare regulation, restricting for-profit models in hospice care.

Provides that maternal health care facilities are not required to grant doula access during emergencies or when such access could compromise the safety of the patient or health care team.