Requires health benefits coverage for private duty nursing services.

This bill (A2227) requires all health insurance plans in New Jersey - including hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, individual/group health policies, health maintenance organizations, and state employee health programs - to cover private duty nursing services. It mandates that insurers provide coverage for nursing care provided in a person’s home, hospital, or skilled nursing facility by a registered or licensed practical nurse under a physician’s direction, when more individualized care is needed than visiting nurses provide. The coverage must follow the same deductibles, coinsurance, and cost-sharing rules as other similar services under the plan, though insurers may still require prior authorization. The bill applies to all new or renewed plans on or after its effective date (January 1 following enactment).