This bill provides emergency funding for state government operations from April 1 through April 7, 2026, to ensure payments continue while regular appropriations are being processed. It allocates approximately $248 million for employee payroll, $10 million for non-payroll operational expenses, and $6.4 million for federal food and nutrition assistance programs. The legislation also includes $609.9 million for the Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) and covers various employee benefits such as social security contributions and retirement plan costs. This temporary funding allows state departments and agencies to maintain essential services during the brief gap before the full fiscal year budget is enacted.
Directs the department of health to make available a model comprehensive county emergency medical system plan to provide guidance to counties in developing their plans and to review such county plans within a certain period of time; and directs counties, in coordination with their regional emergency medical services councils, to develop and maintain comprehensive county emergency medical system plans that provide for coordinated emergency medical systems within such counties.
Requires insurance coverage for lactation support services by a certified lactation consultant who evaluate and manage lactation and infant feeding problems and provide preventative clinical consulting to prevent or minimize the occurrence of potential problems.
Bill A 8518 requires insurance companies to provide outpatient coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of problem gambling services. This directly affects individuals with medical, major medical, or similar comprehensive insurance coverage, as well as their insurance providers. The bill amends existing insurance law to explicitly include problem gambling services within covered substance use disorder treatments. It also mandates that financial requirements and treatment limitations for problem gambling services cannot be more restrictive than those applied to substantially all other medical and surgical benefits covered by the policy.
This bill directs the state health commissioner to create guidelines for including placenta accreta spectrum screenings in routine prenatal care. Placenta accreta spectrum is a pregnancy complication where the placenta attaches too deeply into the uterine wall, which can cause serious health risks during delivery. The new guidance will outline when screenings should begin, how often they should be repeated, what risk factors to check for, and how to refer patients for follow-up care. The bill affects healthcare providers who deliver prenatal care and pregnant individuals who may be at risk for this condition. It does not mandate specific screening practices but establishes a framework for the health department to develop standardized recommendations.
This bill requires most health insurance plans sold in the state to cover pharmacist-provided contraceptive services, such as counseling, prescribing, or dispensing. It directly affects health insurers and patients seeking contraceptive care through pharmacies. The key provision mandates that insurance policies include these specific services without extra costs to the patient. The bill passed the Senate in January 2026 and is now under review by the Assembly's Insurance committee.
Establishes the rare disease advisory council to identify best practices, raise awareness regarding rare diseases, evaluate barriers to access to care, and to make recommendations to the legislature and the governor.
Provides for eye and tissue donation; requires coroners to develop a protocol for making referrals of deaths that fall under their jurisdiction and occur outside of a hospital including calling the federally designated organ procurement organization for donor registry verification and a donor suitability determination.
Requires that general hospitals that provide mastectomy surgery, lymph node dissection or lumpectomy provide information to such patients concerning options for breast reconstruction.
This bill requires insurers and health care plans to follow specific rules when using virtual credit cards or fee-based digital payment methods to reimburse healthcare providers. Insurers must first notify providers of any potential fees, offer a fee-free payment alternative, and get the provider's written consent within 30 days to use the fee-based method. If a provider doesn't respond in time, insurers must default to the fee-free option. The law applies directly to insurers and healthcare providers who contract with them, ensuring transparency and preventing unexpected charges for providers.
