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Bill

A 1206

Requires certain health insurance policies to provide coverage for diabetes and prediabetes screening

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Harvey Epstein and 6 co-sponsors

Creates a 24-member NJ DOH Working Group on End-of-Life/Palliative Care to develop and report a plan, measure access/quality/cost, and reduce disparities—expires after plan completion.

PRINT NUMBER 1206B
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Bill Summary · A 1206

Summary — A1206 (Print 1206B)

Title discrepancy note: although the bill header provided referenced diabetes screening, the legislative text for A1206 (introduced 1/9/2024; Print 1206B) establishes a Working Group on End‑of‑Life Care and Palliative Care. This summary describes the working‑group bill text.

Main purpose and intent

Create a temporary, 24‑member Working Group on End‑of‑Life Care and Palliative Care in the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) to develop a plan to implement prior Advisory Council recommendations, measure performance on palliative and end‑of‑life services, identify evidence‑based best practices, and recommend ways to reduce disparities and improve care.

Key provisions

  • Establishes the Working Group on End‑of‑Life Care and Palliative Care in DOH.
  • Membership (24 total):
    • Ex officio: Commissioners of Health, Human Services, Banking & Insurance, and the State Long‑Term Care Ombudsman (or designees).
    • 20 public members appointed by the Commissioner of Health, including representatives from: New Jersey Hospital Association; Health Care Association of New Jersey; Medical Society of New Jersey; New Jersey Association of Health Plans; AARP NJ; Home Care & Hospice Association of NJ; NJ Palliative Advance Practice Nurse Consortium; NJ Health Care Quality Institute; NJ Association of Mental Health & Addiction Agencies; NJ Sharing Network; ARC of NJ; two licensed physicians with expertise in pain management or end‑of‑life care (at least one oncologist); one registered professional nurse; one patient advocate employed by a health care facility; one faith‑based organization representative; and four general public members (two non‑licensed persons with relevant expertise/interest and two family members of people who received palliative or end‑of‑life care).
  • Organization and operations:
    • Group to organize promptly, select chair and vice‑chair; chair appoints a secretary (need not be a member).
    • Members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses within available funds.
    • DOH provides staff support; group may use other state agency employees as available.
  • Duties and deliverables:
    • Develop a plan to implement legislative, administrative, and policy recommendations from the NJ Advisory Council on End‑of‑Life Care (2018 report).
    • Report on performance goals/benchmarks to measure access, choice, quality, and cost‑effectiveness of palliative and end‑of‑life care.
    • Study and recommend strategies and evidence‑based best practices to improve care and reduce disparities.
    • Upon completion, submit the plan to the Senate Health, Human Services & Senior Citizens Committee and the Assembly Health Committee and post it on the DOH website.
  • Timeline and accountability:
    • The working group is expected to develop the plan; if not completed within one year of the act’s effective date, the chair must appear before the legislative committees that considered the act to explain delays. Legislative leaders have authority to require subsequent appearances until the plan is completed.
  • Effective date and duration:
    • Takes effect immediately and expires upon completion of the plan.

Who is affected

  • State agencies (DOH and other relevant entities) — coordination, staff support, and potential policy changes.
  • Health care providers and health systems — subject of recommendations and implementation strategies.
  • Third‑party payers/insurers — may be targets of implementation recommendations from the working group.
  • Patients nearing end of life and family members — intended beneficiaries through improved access, quality, and equity of palliative and hospice care.
  • Advocacy and professional organizations represented on the group.

Procedural / legislative status

  • Introduced in the Assembly 01/09/2024; initially referred to Assembly Health Committee and later to Assembly Insurance Committee.
  • Multiple amendments and re‑commitments resulted in printed versions A1206A and A1206B (Print No. 1206B dated 05/15/2025).
  • Sponsors include Ron Kim (primary) and several cosponsors (Grace Lee; Jessica Gonzalez‑Rojas; Rebecca Seawright; Steven Raga; Karines Reyes; Harvey Epstein).
  • Companion bill: S634. Prior‑session related bill: A9941.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Creates an advisory mechanism to translate prior advisory council recommendations into actionable state policy and benchmarks; expected to inform DOH actions and possible future legislation or regulatory changes.
  • Does not appropriate funds or mandate program spending; any implementation requiring funding or regulatory change would be a separate action.
  • Temporary/advisory in nature — influence depends on uptake of its plan and recommendations by DOH, other agencies, insurers, and the Legislature.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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