This New Jersey bill (S 1228) requires public schools to create emergency policies for students with seizure disorders. It mandates schools to train at least two non-nurse staff members (in addition to the school nurse) to administer nasal seizure rescue medication and use a manual vagus nerve stimulator during emergencies, with parental consent and written documentation. Schools must also develop individualized emergency plans in collaboration with parents and healthcare providers, and ensure students receive hospital evaluation after treatment. The bill protects school staff from liability for good-faith actions under these protocols, provided they follow training and consent requirements. The bill was introduced to the Senate Education Committee in January 2026.
S 1275 requires all health insurance plans in New Jersey (including hospital, medical, and health service corporation plans) to cover diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations without cost-sharing. Diagnostic exams evaluate abnormalities found in screenings or detected otherwise, while supplemental exams screen high-risk patients (e.g., those with dense breasts or family history) when no abnormality exists. The bill mandates coverage "to the same extent as for any other sickness" under insurance contracts, eliminating deductibles, copays, or coinsurance for these specific exams. This directly affects New Jersey residents with health insurance who require these medically necessary breast screenings.
This bill requires all general hospitals in New Jersey to create at least one private bereavement room. The rooms must be available for family members who receive upsetting news about a loved one receiving treatment, including news of death. The Commissioner of Health will enforce this requirement, mandating hospitals to designate and maintain these spaces. The law takes effect 180 days after enactment. It directly affects hospitals and families receiving critical health updates during hospital stays.
This bill establishes a 5-year "University Hospital Medical Cannabis Pilot Program" at University Hospital in New Jersey to provide medical cannabis treatment to eligible patients who are authorized by healthcare providers and registered with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. The program requires the hospital to conduct clinical research on cannabis efficacy, create patient advisory councils, partner with academic institutions, and integrate telehealth services for patient monitoring and care. It mandates annual reports to the Governor and Legislature on program effectiveness, including recommendations for potential expansion, and appropriates state funds to cover implementation costs. The pilot aims to evaluate treatment outcomes, reduce stigma, and generate evidence to inform future healthcare policy.
New Jersey bill S 598 requires health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment for two specific pediatric neurological conditions: PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) and PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). The bill mandates coverage for treatments including antibiotics, behavioral therapies, immunomodulating medicines, plasma exchange, and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG), provided by a treating physician. Insurance plans must cover these expenses "to the same extent as for any other condition," applying to hospital service, medical service, health service, individual, group, and health benefits plans. This directly affects patients diagnosed with PANDAS or PANS and all health insurance providers operating in New Jersey.
S 1829 establishes a three-year "Food is Medicine NJ Pilot Program" within New Jersey's Department of Human Services, appropriating $5 million to provide nutrition services to Medicaid recipients. The program directly serves up to 3,000 high-risk Medicaid participants with complex chronic conditions (like diabetes, heart failure, or obesity) through medically tailored meals, and an additional 7,000 at-risk Medicaid recipients via produce prescriptions and nutrition education. It requires a third-party evaluator to measure impacts on emergency room visits, hospitalizations, medication adherence, and Medicaid cost savings, with reports to the Legislature due within 18 months and at the program's conclusion. The bill aims to address diet-related chronic diseases - identified as leading causes of death and healthcare spending in New Jersey - by integrating nutrition interventions into the healthcare system.
The "Fair Access to Health Care Networks Act" requires New Jersey health insurance carriers to include any State-licensed health care provider - such as ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic labs, imaging centers, and private practices - in their networks upon application. Carriers must reimburse these providers at a minimum of 200% of Medicare rates for equivalent services (unless the provider agrees to a lower rate) and cannot exclude them based on size, ownership, or hospital affiliation. If a carrier fails to respond to an inclusion request within 90 days, the provider is automatically provisionally included. The Department of Banking and Insurance will enforce the law, imposing civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, with $2 million allocated for administration.
S 800 requires all New Jersey general acute care hospitals to include fentanyl testing in standard urine drug screenings used for patient diagnosis. Currently, these screenings typically test for drugs like cocaine and some opioids but not fentanyl. The bill mandates this change to help identify fentanyl exposure - often unintentional due to drug contamination - and ensure patients receive appropriate overdose treatment. The requirement takes effect immediately and expires on January 1, 2028.
S 3012 creates two new state entities: the Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission and the Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency within New Jersey’s Department of Health. The bill requires hospitals and other health care entities (including insurers and providers) to publicly report detailed pricing data for services like inpatient care, emergency visits, and physician services using standard medical codes. It establishes price growth benchmarks to monitor cost trends, mandates public reporting of pricing data, and empowers the Commission to address entities exceeding these benchmarks through transparency measures and potential penalties. The law directly affects all New Jersey hospitals and health care payers by requiring data transparency and cost monitoring to improve affordability.
This bill requires hospitals and clinical laboratories in New Jersey to offer hepatitis C screening tests to patients born between 1945 and 1965 during outpatient visits. It mandates that staff provide a verbal and written explanation of CDC recommendations and offer the test at registration, with positive results requiring follow-up contact. Laboratories must perform the test if consented to, and insurers must cover the cost at in-network rates without charging the patient beyond standard copays. The law aims to increase early detection among a high-risk age group, with the health commissioner required to report on its impact within one year.
