This bill amends New Jersey's law regulating patient referrals by removing an exemption for medically-necessary intraoperative monitoring services during specific surgical procedures. Under the current law, practitioners are generally prohibited from referring patients to health care services in which they or their immediate family have a significant beneficial interest. However, certain medical procedures were previously exempt from this prohibition. The bill specifically deletes the exemption for intraoperative monitoring services rendered during neurosurgical, neurological, or neuro-radiological procedures performed in hospitals.

By eliminating this exemption, the bill aims to enhance transparency and reduce potential conflicts of interest in patient referrals. Practitioners will now be required to adhere to the same referral restrictions for these specific services as they do for other medical procedures, ensuring that patients receive unbiased recommendations regardless of the practitioner's financial interests. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 45:9-22.5