New Jersey A 1018: Directs New Jersey State Rehabilitation Council to conduct study to identify trends and gaps in employment of individuals with disabilities.

Bill Text

A1018 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1018 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman BALVIR SINGH

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires health insurance carriers to provide 
adequate network of physicians.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning network adequacy and supplementing 
P.L.1997, c.192 (C.26:2S-1 et al.).

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� "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, the School Employees� Health Benefits Program, the Medicaid 
program, and a Medicaid managed care organization.

���� "Commissioner" means 
the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance and the Commissioner of Health.

���� "Medicaid" means the 
Medicaid program established pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.).

���� �Network� means those 
physicians who participate as in-network providers within a health benefits 
plan.

���� �Office based medical 
specialist� means physicians practicing in specialty areas recognized by the 
American Board of Medical Specialties, American Osteopathic Association or the 
American Podiatric Medical Association that are usually located in office-based 
practices other than those physicians included in the definition of �primary 
care physician� pursuant to this section.

���� �Primary care physician� means 
a physician who:

���� (1)� has successfully 
completed a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for 
Graduate Medical Education or approved by the American Osteopathic Association 
in the specialty of general family medicine, general internal medicine, 
obstetrics and gynecology or general pediatrics; or 

���� (2)� has been evaluated by a 
carrier�s committee charged with setting standards for and reviewing provider 
credentialing under the direction of the carrier�s medical director, and who is 
found by that committee to demonstrate through training, education and experience 
or expertise in primary care.

���� 2.��� All networks shall have 
a sufficient number of physicians to ensure that 100 percent of covered persons 
reside no more than:

���� a.��� a 20 minute drive or 10 
miles, whichever is less, from at least three primary care physicians within 
each type of primary care specialty as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.��� 
, c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and within 
the geographic boundaries of the State; and

���� b.��� a 30 minute drive or 15 
miles, whichever is less, from at least three office-based medical specialists 
within each specialty as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� 
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and within the geographic 
boundaries of the State.

���� 3.��� a.� Pursuant to section 
2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this 
bill), a network shall have a sufficient number of physicians to:

���� (1)� meet the health needs of 
covered persons;

���� (2)� provide an appropriate 
choice of physicians sufficient to render services covered by the health 
benefits plan; and

���� (3)� reasonably ensure that 
covered persons have timely access, as required pursuant to section 2 of 
P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), to 
in-network facilities.

���� b.��� For purposes of 
determining whether a sufficient number of physicians are included in the 
network, the commissioner shall ensure that a carrier providing benefits for 
emergency services shall ensure that:

���� (1)� requests for emergency 
care shall be triaged immediately or no later than one hour from the request 
for emergency care;

���� (2)� requests for urgent care 
be provided within 24 hours of notification of the carrier;

���� (3)� requests for a routine 
appointment be scheduled within two weeks; and

���� (4)� requests for a routine 
physical examination be scheduled within three months.

���� c.��� Nothing in P.L.��� , 
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall preclude 
a health benefits plan from offering services via telehealth or telemedicine, 
but services offered via telehealth or telemedicine shall not be counted toward 
compliance with network adequacy requirements of P.L.��� , c. (C. ) 
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� d.��� Nothing in P.L.��� , 
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall preclude 
a health benefits plan from including providers other than physicians, 
including but not limited to physician assistants, advanced practice nurses and 
registered nurses, in a