Appropriates $2.5 million to DOBI to reimburse joint insurance funds for COVID-19 surveillance testing.

This bill appropriates $2.5 million from the state General Fund to the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to reimburse joint insurance funds for covering COVID-19 surveillance testing costs. It directly affects insurance plans providing group health coverage to "covered workers" (defined in Governor Murphy's executive orders), specifically for weekly testing of unvaccinated, asymptomatic employees in healthcare and high-risk settings from August 2021 to August 2022. The reimbursement covers costs incurred by insurance funds that voluntarily provided this testing despite federal guidance not requiring it. The bill establishes a process for funds to request reimbursement through DOBI and clarifies that "surveillance testing" refers to routine screening to identify asymptomatic cases, distinct from required medical testing.