NEW JERSEY health insurance

NEW JERSEY Health Insurance : The General Assembly last week held a hearing on Assignment of Benefits legislation, a sign that the Financial Institutions Committee is taking a more deliberate approach than the Senate in looking at this complex issue. Similar legislation passed unanimously in the Senate in March. Aetna along with other health plans presented testimony opposing an automatic assignment of benefits and offered to look at alternatives to the broad all-providers-in-all-settings application contemplated in the bill. The Carpenter's Union and Business & Industry Association also testified in opposition because of the potential for increased costs. The Assembly also took action on legislation concerning serious, reportable "never events" -- medical errors. Three bills on this issue were combined, which will require the reporting of never events and prohibit facilities from billing when such events occur. The Senate passed a more robust never events bill earlier this year, but it appears the Assembly's amended version is more likely to reach the Governor's desk.