McKeon, Conaway and Mukherji Bill Ensuring Healthcare Coverage for Preventive Care Services Now Law

(TRENTON) – Ensuring healthcare coverage for preventive care and screenings under the State-based health exchange, legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats John McKeon (D-Essex), Herb Conaway (D-Burlington) and Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) was signed into law Thursday.

The sponsors issued the following joint statement upon the bill becoming law:

“Preventive healthcare is critical to helping individuals’ live longer, healthier lives. In the long run, preventive medicine and services helps families’ keep healthcare costs down and avoid potential health problems. These are services every resident relies on for themselves and their children.

“The Affordable Care Act ensured more residents’ access to preventive care than before. Setting these same standards under the State-based healthcare exchange will continue to protect New Jersey families’ and their access to these critical services.”

The law (formerly bill A-5507) will require health insurers to provide coverage without requiring any cost sharing for expenses incurred in the provision of the following preventive services:

1. Evidence-based items or services that have a rating of “A” or “B” in the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force;
2. Immunizations that have a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
3. With respect to infants, children, and adolescents, evidence-informed preventive care and screenings provided for in the comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration;
4. And with respect to women, any additional preventive care and screenings as provided for in the comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

This law will take effect on the 90^th day following enactment and will apply to policies or contracts issued or renewed on or after the effective date.