Bill Text: NJ A3202 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for suicidal ideation and attempted suicide for postpartum women.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee [A3202 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3202-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Verrelli
SYNOPSIS
Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for suicidal ideation and attempted suicide for postpartum women.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning suicidal ideation for postpartum women and supplementing P.L.1997, c.192 (C.26:2S-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. A carrier shall provide coverage for expenses incurred in the treatment of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide for a woman who is within the postpartum period.
b. As used in this section:
"Attempted suicide" means destructive behavior intended by an individual to result in that individual's harm or death.
"Carrier" means an insurance company, health service corporation, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, or health maintenance organization authorized to issue health benefits plans in this State, and shall include the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program.
"Postpartum period" means one year after childbirth.
"Suicidal ideation" means thinking about, considering, or making plans for suicide.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all health benefits plans currently in effect in the State, or that are delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this State, or approved for issuance or renewal in this State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after the effective date of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires health insurance carriers (health, hospital and medical service corporations; health maintenance organizations; and insurance companies), as well as the State and School Employees' Health Benefits Programs, to provide coverage for expenses incurred in the treatment of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide for a woman who is within the postpartum period. The bill defines the postpartum period to be one year after childbirth. Currently, insurance carriers are not specifically required to provide coverage for suicidal ideation.
The bill takes effect immediately and applies to all health benefit plans currently in effect in the State, or that are delivered, issued, executed or renewed in this State, or approved for issuance or renewal in this State by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, on or after the effective date of the bill.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among postpartum women. Recent findings indicate that the prevalence of suicidal ideation among postpartum women has risen in recent years. In addition, some findings even indicate that suicides may account for up to twenty percent of postpartum deaths.
