14 Possible New NJ Laws That Could Change Your Medical Care

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he's ready to sign 14 new bills into law that could change your life – and especially impact your health and how much you pay to maintain it.

Murphy announced a package of bills this week that he says will write into state law a number of "basic protections" for health care.

Those protections include: no-cost preventative care, prohibiting exclusions for preexisting conditions, allowing children to stay on their parents’ plan until age 26, and protecting maternity care as essential health benefits, among others.

“At a time when the Affordable Care Act is under constant attack in Washington, we have a responsibility to provide access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage for all New Jersey residents,” said Murphy. “I am honored to work with our legislative partners to ensure that New Jersey sets a higher standard in our nation’s health care discussion by enshrining the principles of the Affordable Care Act into state law.”

The governor and members of the Legislature announced the following bills:

• A5499/S3807 (Conaway, McKeon/Gill, Vitale) – Authorizes DOBI to establish State-based exchange for certain health benefits plans.
• A5500/S3809 (Greenwald, Lopez/Pou, Lagana) – Expands rate review process in DOBI for certain individual and small employer health benefits plans.
• A5501/S3802 (McKeon, Vainieri Huttle/Pou, Weinberg) – Requires continuation of health benefits dependent coverage until child turns 26 years of age.
• A5502/S3811 (Sumter, Verrelli, Reynolds-Jackson/Gopal, Diegnan) – Revises definition of small employer under New Jersey Small Employer Health Benefits Program.
• A5503/S3806 (Reynolds-Jackson, Swain/Vitale, Cryan) – Establishes open enrollment period under Individual Health Coverage Program.
• A5504/S3812 (Benson, Schaer/Cryan, Diegnan) – Applies 85 percent loss ratio requirement to large group health insurance plans.
• A5505/S3810 (Quijano, Pinkin/Singleton, Lagana) – Revises certain permissible rating factors for premiums charged for individual and small employer health benefits plans.
• A5506/S3808 (Tully, Danielsen/Singleton, Diegnan) – Repeals statute authorizing offering of “Basic and Essential” health benefits plans under individual health benefits and small employer health benefits plans and other statutes concerning basic health plan; makes conforming amendments.
• A5507/S3803 (McKeon, Conaway/Pou, Ruiz) – Requires health benefits coverage for certain preventive services.
• A5508/S3804 (Zwicker, Murphy/Ruiz, Pou) – Revises law requiring health benefits coverage for certain contraceptives.
• A5509/S3805 (Mosequera, Timberlake/Ruiz, Pou) – Requires health benefits coverage for breastfeeding support.
• A5510/S3813 (McKeon, DeAngelo/Vitale, Weinberg) – Expands "Law Against Discrimination" to apply to health programs and activities and to prohibit discrimination based on association with individuals in protected classes.
• S562/A5248 (Gill, Singleton/Conaway, Mukherji, McKeon) – Preserves requirement that health insurance plans cover essential health benefits.
• S626/A1733 (Vitale, Diegnan/Vainieri Huttle, Chiaravalloti, Downey, Danielsen) – Clarifies prohibition on preexisting condition exclusions in health insurance policies.

U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. said the steps are "rightly building on the tremendous benefits provided for in the Affordable Care Act" just as the Trump administration has sought to gut the federal law and perhaps eliminate it altogether.

New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Marlene Caride said the state is ready to take significant steps in New Jersey to protect access to health care coverage, but the state needs to do more.

He said the state is looking to create a state-based exchange that will allow New Jersey to establish policies that provide greater stability in the market, improved access to coverage for residents and increased protections against federal efforts to destabilize the market.

"I look forward to continuing the work of the Murphy administration, in partnership with the Legislature, to ensure residents have access to the care and health care coverage they deserve through the preservation of protections afforded by the ACA including the development of a State-Based Exchange,” he said.

New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said the state has enlisted as many hospitals, clinics, and health care institutions as possible to enroll more people into coverage.

New Jersey’s total Medicaid enrollment increased by 36 percent—nearly 460,000 people—in a little less than four years under the Affordable Care Act. To protect these residents and other who need access to affordable healthcare, "we must take action to stabilize New Jersey’s market,”said Assemblyman Herb Conaway.

“A state-based exchange and a coordinated outreach program are key components to fighting against the discriminatory changes prohibiting residents with preexisting conditions and limiting women’s access to contraceptives," he said. "This will help ensure every resident has access to affordable healthcare for themselves and their families.”