This bill mandates that health insurance and Medicaid in New Jersey provide comprehensive coverage for family planning and reproductive health care services, including abortion, without any cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles or copayments. The legislation seeks to eliminate financial barriers that hinder access to necessary reproductive health care, particularly for marginalized groups. It also prohibits medical malpractice insurers from taking adverse actions against practitioners who provide legally protected health care services, ensuring that providers can offer these services without fear of repercussions. Additionally, the bill reinforces the right to reproductive autonomy as recognized by the New Jersey Constitution, declaring any law or regulation that limits this right as invalid.

Furthermore, the bill requires health insurance carriers, including the NJ FamilyCares/Medicaid program, to cover family planning and reproductive health care services, including pregnancy termination, with no cost-sharing, except for out-of-network providers. It allows religious employers to request an exclusion from coverage that conflicts with their bona fide religious beliefs. The bill also protects medical malpractice insurers from adverse actions against professionals providing reproductive health care or gender-affirming services, even in states where such services may be illegal. New definitions for terms related to reproductive health care are introduced, while certain sections of previous legislation are repealed, all aimed at enhancing access to reproductive health care services and safeguarding health care providers.

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