ASSEMBLY, No. 2756

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 27, 1997

 

 

By Assemblywoman WEINBERG, Assemblyman ZISA, Assemblywoman Pou and Assemblyman Steele

 

 

An Act concerning certain individual health benefits plans and amending P.L.1992, c.161.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Section 4 of P.L.1992, c.161 (C.17B:27A-5) is amended to read as follows:

    4. The following provisions shall not apply to basic health benefits plans and managed care health benefits plans issued pursuant to section 3 of this act:

    Sections 12, 32 through 35, inclusive, of P.L.1985, c.236 (C.17:48E-12 and C.17:48E-32 through C.17:48E-35, inclusive); [section 2 of P.L.1987, c.62 (C.17:48E-35.1);]sections 3, 4 and 6 of P.L.1991, c.279 (C.17:48E-35.4, 17B:26-2.1e and 26:2J-4.4); section 1 of P.L.1977, c.118 (C.17B:26-2.1); section 1 of P.L.1983, c.53 (C.17B:26-2.1a); [section 1 of P.L.1987, c.64 (C.17B:26-2.1c);]P.L.1979, c.328 (C.17B:26-2.2 et seq.); and sections 1 and 2 of P.L.1979, c.161 (C.17B:26-44.1 and C.17B:26-44.2).

(cf: P.L.1992, c.161, s.4)

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill provides that basic health benefits plans and managed care health benefits plans issued to individuals pursuant to the "Individual Health Insurance Reform Act," P.L.1992, c.161 (C.17B:27A-2 et seq.), shall include coverage for the home treatment of hemophilia. Under that law, all health insurers must offer individual health benefits coverage on an open enrollment basis, but certain coverages otherwise mandated by law are omitted from the most basic types of policies which must be offered, sometimes referred to as "bare bones" policies. In policies covering expenses incurred for routine bleeding episodes associated with hemophilia, coverage for the purchase of blood products and blood infusion equipment required for the home treatment of hemophilia has been required coverage since 1987. This bill, then, would remove the reference to coverage for the home treatment of hemophilia otherwise required of health insurers from the list of mandates omitted by section 4 of the new law (C.17B:27A-5).

 

 

                             

 

Requires coverage for home treatment of hemophilia under certain individual health benefits plans.