Bill > A3183

Introduced Session

This bill prohibits payment of more than one copayment, coinsurance or deductible for the series of vaccinations used in preventive rabies treatment. The current standard protocol for this treatment dictates that the administration of this series of vaccinations shall only take place in an emergency room or similar hospital setting because the vaccine is only readily accessible in that setting. Thus, the typically higher emergency room or hospital copayment, coinsurance or deductible under any applicable health benefits plan may be charged each time the person suspected of contracting rabies returns to the hospital to receive another in the series of vaccinations. By permitting only one payment for this series of vaccinations in this way, the often prohibitive cost of an emergency room copayment, coinsurance or deductible is removed as an obstacle to receiving the treatment. The bill provides that the covered person receiving the treatment shall be responsible for the payment of only one copayment, coinsurance or deductible for that series of vaccinations during any period of 180 days following that payment, regardless of the number of follow-up care visits for that series of vaccinations during that period. Similarly, the health care provider shall not collect more than one copayment, coinsurance or deductible during any such period of 180 days and the health benefits plan shall not require payment of more than one copayment, coinsurance or deductible by the covered person during that period. The bill supplements the "Health Care Quality Act," P.L.1997, c.192 (C.26:2S-1 et seq.) and would apply to health benefits plans issued by health insurance carriers, as defined by that act, the State Employees Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program.

Committee Categories

Nancy Muñoz (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee (on 02/24/2020)