Bill > A5999

Introduced Session

This bill prohibits pharmacy benefits managers from requiring covered persons to use mail service pharmacies. Specifically, the bill provides that pharmacy benefits managers, in connection with any contract or arrangement with a private health insurer, prescription benefit plan, or the State Health Benefits Program or School Employees' Health Benefits Program, may neither require covered persons to use a mail service pharmacy nor automatically enroll covered persons in a mail service pharmacy program. The bill provides that pharmacy benefits managers may provide benefits to covered persons through mail service pharmacies, provided that the covered persons are given the option to use a mail service pharmacy or a non-mail service pharmacy, and the covered persons consent in writing to the use of the mail service pharmacy. It has come to the attention of the sponsor that certain pharmacy benefits managers in New Jersey automatically enroll covered persons in a mail service pharmacy program without the covered persons' consent. This bill is intended to stop these automatic enrollments and to support the right of covered persons to use a non-mail service pharmacy if they so choose.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Ronald Dancer (R)*,  Robert Karabinchak (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee (on 11/25/2019)

Official Document