Bill Text: NJ A1653 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires SHBP to provide coverage for expenses incurred in screening for prostate cancer.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A1653 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1653-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires SHBP to provide coverage for expenses incurred in screening for prostate cancer.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning coverage for prostate cancer testing under the State Health Benefits Program and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The State Health Benefits Commission shall ensure that every contract purchased by the commission, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits to each person covered under the State Health Benefits Program for expenses incurred in conducting an annual medically recognized diagnostic examination including, but not limited to, a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen test for men age 50 and over who are asymptomatic and for men age 40 and over with a family history of prostate cancer or other prostate cancer risk factors. The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the contract.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State Health Benefits Program to provide coverage for annual medically recognized diagnostic examination including, but not limited to, a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for men age 50 and over who are asymptomatic and for men 40 and over with a family history of prostate cancer or other prostate cancer risk factors. The PSA blood test is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to help detect prostate cancer in men when used in conjunction with a digital rectal examination.
P.L.1996, c.125 requires all health insurers and health maintenance organizations that cover groups with 50 or more persons to provide these prostate cancer screening tests.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, other than skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 230,900 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in the year 2004. About 29,900 men will die of this disease. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.
Prostate cancer can often be found early by testing the amount of PSA in the blood. The American Cancer Society believes that doctors should offer the PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam yearly.
