Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires insurers and State health care coverage programs to cover cost of HPV vaccine.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning insurance coverage for HPV vaccine and supplementing Titles 17, 26, 30, and 52 of the Revised Statutes and Title 17B of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. A hospital service corporation contract that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1938, c.366 (C.17:48-1 et seq.), on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the contract.
This section shall apply to those hospital service corporation contracts in which the hospital service corporation has reserved the right to change the premium.
2. A medical service corporation contract that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1940, c.74 (C.17:48A-1 et seq.), on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the contract.
This section shall apply to those medical service corporation contracts in which the medical service corporation has reserved the right to change the premium.
3. A health service corporation contract that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1985, c.236 (C.17:48E-1 et seq.), on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the contract.
This section shall apply to those health service corporation contracts in which the health service corporation has reserved the right to change the premium.
4. An individual health insurance policy that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to chapter 26 of Title 17B of the New Jersey Statutes, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the policy.
This section shall apply to those policies in which the insurer has reserved the right to change the premium.
5. A group health insurance policy that provides hospital and medical expense benefits and is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to chapter 27 of Title 17B of the New Jersey Statutes, on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the policy.
This section shall apply to those policies in which the insurer has reserved the right to change the premium.
6. An individual health benefits plan that is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1992, c.161 (C.17B:27A-2 et seq.), on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the health benefits plan.
This section shall apply to those health benefits plans in which the carrier has reserved the right to change the premium.
7. A small employer health benefits plan that is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1992, c.162 (C.17B:27A-17 et seq.), on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide benefits for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the health benefits plan.
This section shall apply to those health benefits plans in which the carrier has reserved the right to change the premium.
8. A health maintenance organization contract for health care services that is delivered, issued, executed, or renewed in this State pursuant to P.L.1973, c.337 (C.26:2J-1 et seq.), on or after the effective date of this act, shall provide health care services for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The health care services shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the contract.
This section shall apply to those contracts for health care services under which the right to change the schedule of charges for enrollee coverage is reserved.
9. The State Health Benefits Commission shall ensure that every contract purchased by the commission, on or after the effective date of this act, that provides hospital or medical expense benefits shall provide coverage for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the program.
10. The School Employees Health Benefits Commission shall ensure that every contract purchased by the commission, on or after the effective date of this act, that provides hospital or medical expense benefits shall provide coverage for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition under the program.
11. The Medicaid program established pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.) and the NJ FamilyCare Program established pursuant to P.L.2005, c.156 (C.30:4J-8 et al.) shall provide coverage for expenses incurred for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
12. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment, and shall apply to policies or contracts issued or renewed on or after the effective date.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that health insurers (hospital, medical and health service corporations, commercial individual, small employer and larger group insurers), health maintenance organizations, the State Health Benefits and School Employees' Health Benefits programs, and the State Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs provide coverage for a vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is approved for marketing by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in this country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 6.2 million Americans become infected with genital HPV each year, and that over 50% of all sexually active men and women become infected at some time in their lives. For most women, the body's own defense system will clear the virus and infected women will not develop related health problems; however, some types of HPV can cause abnormal cells on the lining of the cervix that may become cancerous. Other types of HPV can cause genital warts. The recently approved vaccine is effective against two types of HPV that cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers, and two types of HPV that cause approximately 90 percent of genital warts.
The federal Food and Drug Administration recently approved two vaccines for use in adolescent females and young women to prevent cervical cancer due to certain types of HPV.