This bill requires that health insurance and Medicaid in New Jersey cover reproductive health care services, including abortion, without any cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles or copayments. It ensures that health benefit contracts do not restrict or delay access to these services and prohibits prior authorization for coverage. While allowing religious employers to request exclusions from coverage that conflict with their beliefs, the bill mandates that necessary care to preserve life or health cannot be excluded. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to address financial barriers to reproductive health care, particularly for marginalized groups.

The legislation also mandates coverage for the termination of pregnancies and defines pregnancy as beginning with the implantation of a fertilized egg. It introduces definitions for "gender-affirming health care services" and "legally protected health care activity," ensuring these services are recognized under state law. The bill protects medical malpractice insurers from taking adverse actions against healthcare providers who perform legally protected reproductive or gender-affirming health services, regardless of the legal status of those services in other states. It repeals certain sections of previous legislation and outlines effective dates for its provisions, reinforcing New Jersey's commitment to reproductive rights and access to necessary health care services.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 10:7-2, 17:30D-22