The proposed bill amends New Jersey's automobile insurance laws by establishing a new requirement for medical expense benefits, mandating that all standard and basic automobile insurance policies provide a minimum of $250,000 in medical expense benefits per person per accident. This replaces the previous limit of $15,000 and eliminates options for lower coverage amounts of $150,000, $75,000, $50,000, or $15,000. The bill also clarifies that any benefits exceeding $75,000 for personal injury in a single accident will be reimbursable to the insurer from the Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment Fund, and it emphasizes adherence to accepted medical protocols for the provision of medical treatments and services.

Additionally, the bill modifies personal injury protection coverage options by allowing insurers to exclude certain benefits related to income continuation, essential services, death benefits, and funeral expenses. It specifies that medical expense benefits are not assignable and cannot be subjected to debt collection processes. The bill introduces provisions for the coordination of benefits, stating that if an insured has other health insurance, that coverage will be considered primary, with the automobile insurer liable only for reasonable medical expenses not covered by the primary insurance. The amendments aim to streamline coverage while ensuring adequate medical benefits for injured parties, and the bill is set to take effect 30 days after enactment for policies issued or renewed thereafter.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 39:6A-3.1, 39:6A-4, 39:6A-4.3