ASSEMBLY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND INSURANCE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3159

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 5, 2019

      The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3159 (1R).

      This bill provides that coverage under the Medicaid program includes expenses incurred for the provision of pasteurized donated human breast milk, which will include human milk fortifiers, if indicated in a medical order provided by a licensed medical practitioner, to an infant under the age of six months.  In order for the Medicaid program to cover such expenses, the milk must be obtained from a human milk bank that meets quality guidelines established by the Department of Health.  In addition, a licensed medical practitioner must have issued a medical order for the infant under at least one of the following circumstances:

      (1)  the infant is medically or physically unable to receive maternal breast milk or participate in breast feeding or the infant’s mother is medically or physically unable to produce maternal breast milk in sufficient quantities or participate in breast feeding despite optimal lactation support; or 

      (2)  the infant meets any of the following conditions: a body weight below healthy levels, as determined by the licensed medical practitioner issuing the medical order for the infant; a congenital or acquired condition that places the infant at a high risk for development of necrotizing enterocolitis; or a congenital or acquired condition that may benefit from the use of donor breast milk and human milk fortifiers as determined by the Department of Health.

      As reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 4747 (1R), as also amended and reported by the committee.