Bill
Bill > S3502
summary
Introduced
02/12/2026
02/12/2026
In Committee
02/12/2026
02/12/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill requires health insurers (health, hospital and medical service corporations, commercial individual and group health insurers, health maintenance organizations, health benefits plans issued pursuant to the New Jersey Individual Health Coverage and Small Employer Health Benefits Programs, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program) and the State Medicaid program to provide coverage for medical expenses incurred in the treatment of stuttering, including habilitative speech therapy and rehabilitative speech therapy. Whether treatment is a medical necessity is to be determined by the covered person's medical doctor. The bill requires coverage to be provided whether the services are delivered in-person or through telemedicine or telehealth, without the imposition of any prior authorization or other utilization management requirements, and without cost-sharing. Pursuant to the bill, "habilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy that helps a person keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily living; and "rehabilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy that helps a person restore or improve skills and functioning for daily living that have been lost or impaired.
AI Summary
This bill mandates that health insurance providers, including various types of health, hospital, and medical service corporations, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and specific state-administered health plans like the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program, as well as the State Medicaid program, must cover the costs associated with treating stuttering. This coverage specifically includes "habilitative speech therapy," which helps individuals gain or improve daily living skills, and "rehabilitative speech therapy," which aims to restore or improve lost or impaired daily living skills. The bill clarifies that coverage will be provided regardless of whether services are delivered in person or remotely via telemedicine or telehealth, and importantly, without requiring prior authorization or other utilization management steps, and with no out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance for the patient. The determination of medical necessity for these treatments will be made by the patient's own medical doctor.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee (on 02/12/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S3502 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S4000/3502_I1.HTM |
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