This bill mandates that health insurance and Medicaid in New Jersey provide coverage for reproductive health care services, including abortion, without any cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles or copayments. It also prohibits medical malpractice insurers from taking adverse actions against healthcare providers based on their provision of legally protected reproductive health services, regardless of the legal status of those services in other states. The legislation emphasizes the importance of access to reproductive health care for all individuals in New Jersey, aiming to eliminate financial barriers that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Additionally, it reinforces the right to reproductive autonomy as recognized by the New Jersey Constitution, allowing individuals to make choices regarding contraception, pregnancy, and abortion.

The bill further requires health insurance carriers, including those in the State Health Benefits Program and the NJ FamilyCares/Medicaid program, to cover pregnancy termination and defines pregnancy as beginning with the implantation of a fertilized egg. It allows religious employers to request exclusions from coverage that conflict with their bona fide religious beliefs while ensuring that necessary care to preserve life or health is not denied. The bill introduces definitions for "gender-affirming health care services" and "legally protected health care activity," ensuring these services are recognized under state law. It also prohibits medical malpractice insurers from penalizing providers for offering reproductive or gender-affirming health care services based on a patient's residency in a state where such services may be illegal, and it repeals certain sections of previous legislation while outlining effective dates for its provisions.

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