ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 5703
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MAY 17, 2021
The Assembly Health Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5703.
As amended, this bill requires certain health benefits carriers and State programs to provide coverage for an opioid antidote without imposing prior authorization requirements.
This bill requires an insurance company, health service corporation, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, or health maintenance organization authorized to issue health benefits plans in this State, as well as the Medicaid program, the NJ FamilyCare Program, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program to provide coverage for an opioid antidote without imposing prior authorization requirements or other utilization management requirements, provided that the treatment is: (1) prescribed or administered to the eligible member by a licensed medical practitioner who is authorized to prescribe or administer that treatment pursuant to State and federal law; or (2) dispensed to the eligible member by a licensed pharmacist under a standing order to dispense an opioid antidote pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2017, c.88 (C.45:14-67.2), which allows pharmacists to dispense opioid antidotes to any person without an individual prescription
The bill provides that its provisions are not be construed to limit the coverage of an opioid antidote only when administered by a medical practitioner.
The bill defines “opioid antidote" to mean naloxone hydrochloride, or any other similarly acting drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for self-administration for the treatment of an opioid overdose.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
The committee amendments make technical changes to citation and to the synopsis and title to reflect the amendments. The amendments replace the term “naloxone” with the term “opioid antidote” as this term is defined in the bill.