Healthcare (Hospitals) in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1972: Lowers age at which certain insurers are required to provide coverage for mammograms.

This bill (S 1972) lowers the required age for routine mammogram coverage from 40 to 35 for most women under New Jersey insurance plans. It requires all group and individual health insurance contracts (including hospital service, medical service, and health service corporation plans) to cover one baseline mammogram at age 35, followed by annual mammograms for women aged 35 and older. Women under 35 with family history or other breast cancer risk factors continue to receive coverage as deemed medically necessary by their provider. The law also maintains existing coverage for additional tests like ultrasounds or MRIs when medically indicated due to dense breast tissue or other risk factors. This change directly affects insurers and policyholders by expanding access to preventive breast cancer screening earlier.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals Insurance

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2682: Requires all hospitals with maternity departments to maintain Baby-Friendly and Mother-Friendly designations.

This bill requires all New Jersey hospitals offering inpatient maternity services to maintain two specific designations: a Baby-Friendly Hospital designation from Baby-Friendly USA and a Mother-Friendly Hospital designation from the Improving Birth Coalition. Hospitals must meet these requirements starting two years after the bill takes effect (which is immediate) to continue providing maternity care. The law directly affects hospitals with maternity departments, making these designations mandatory rather than optional. It focuses on policy compliance, not on specific patient outcomes or program details.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals Women's Health

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1320: Requires health insurers to provide coverage for treatment of tick-borne diseases.

This bill requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover medically necessary treatments for tick-borne diseases, including long-term antibiotic therapy (beyond four weeks) and ongoing testing. It directly affects insurers (hospital, medical, health service corporations, and individual policies) and policyholders diagnosed with conditions like Lyme disease (caused by *borrelia burgdorferi*), chronic infections, or other CDC-recognized tick-borne illnesses. Insurers cannot deny coverage solely because treatment is experimental or uses unapproved drugs, provided the treatment is recognized by medical guidelines or peer-reviewed research. The law applies to all relevant insurance contracts issued or renewed in New Jersey after its effective date.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2121: Prohibits disclosure of personal information pertaining to certain health care workers who are victims of assault; makes violation disorderly persons offense.

S 2121 protects the personal information of healthcare workers who are assaulted by patients or residents at healthcare facilities. It prohibits disclosing a worker’s name, address, or identity in public court documents (like indictments or complaints) if the worker was providing direct patient care and falls into one of three categories: employed at a licensed facility, licensed under Titles 26 or 45, or working at a psychiatric hospital or veterans' facility. The bill requires such information to be redacted or replaced with initials/fictional names in all public records. Violating this rule is a disorderly persons offense punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Hospitals Mental Health

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1025: Establishes Commission on Insurance Reimbursement.

This bill creates the Commission on Insurance Reimbursement within New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance. It requires health insurance carriers to get the Commission's approval before reducing payments for certain medical services (like office visits or procedures), ensuring proposed cuts won't limit patient access to care or harm providers. The Commission, made up of medical experts, hospital representatives, health plan leaders, and patient advocates, reviews applications detailing the proposed cut, its justification, and potential impact on patients and providers. They must issue a final decision within 60 days and report annually to the Governor and Legislature. This directly affects insurers, doctors, hospitals, and patients receiving health care covered by insurance plans.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals Insurance

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2213: Requires distribution of family leave informational materials to certain patients.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (with input from the Department of Labor) to create and distribute informational materials about family leave programs under the state's 1989 Family Leave Act. Specifically, it mandates that healthcare facilities providing maternity care must make these materials available in waiting areas and give them to patients at the time of discharge. The materials must be included in hospital discharge plans for patients with designated caregivers, as part of the required after-care instructions. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Hospitals Women's Health Paid Leave

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 516: Requires hospitals to inquire whether patients have substance use disorder and establish protocols for providing or referring to treatment.

This bill requires all New Jersey general acute care hospitals to ask patients aged 18+ if they have a substance use disorder or are in recovery during healthcare services. Hospitals must create public protocols within 180 days for connecting these patients to treatment or referrals. The law directly affects hospitals and patients with substance use disorders by mandating proactive screening and standardized care pathways. It focuses on integrating substance use disorder support into routine hospital care without specifying treatment types or outcomes.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals Substance Abuse

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1995: Establishes procedure for removal of health care facility from provider network and certain circumstances to allow for special enrollment period.

This bill establishes new rules for when an insurance company removes a hospital or clinic (health care facility network) from its provider network. It requires 15 business days of continued coverage for patients, mandatory negotiation between the insurer and facility during that period, and public notice to affected patients about potential disruptions. If negotiations fail, it creates a 30-day special enrollment period allowing patients in small employer or individual health plans (in the affected county) to switch plans without penalty. The policy directly affects patients enrolled in these specific plans who would otherwise lose access to their current facility network.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals Insurance Primary Care

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1358: Requires hospitals to provide breast cancer patients with information concerning reconstructive surgery; prohibits certain provisions in managed care plan contracts.

This New Jersey bill (S 1358) requires hospitals treating breast cancer patients to provide written notice about their right to choose any board-certified plastic surgeon for reconstructive surgery - regardless of hospital or insurance network affiliation - along with coverage details under state and federal law. The notice must be given when the diagnosis is confirmed, before surgery consent is obtained. It also prohibits health insurance contracts from blocking doctors from recommending outside surgeons and prevents insurers from denying coverage based solely on a surgeon’s network status. The bill directly affects breast cancer patients, hospitals, and health insurance carriers, focusing on expanding access to reconstructive care options.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals Insurance

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 3021: Requires hospitals to maintain minimum services when relocating from underserved community.

This bill requires hospitals approved to relocate from an underserved community to maintain minimum services at their original location. Specifically, it mandates that such hospitals keep all required professional departments, inpatient beds, and essential services - those a general acute care hospital must provide under existing rules (N.J.A.C. 8:33-3.1) - under the same license. It applies to hospitals moving from communities meeting strict criteria, including being designated as medically underserved by federal and state standards. The law takes effect immediately and covers relocations approved in the prior 12 months.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Hospitals

All healthcare bills