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ADVOCACY NEWS: New Jersey Passes Parity Bill

Monday, January 14, 2008

Contact:

Morgan Sheets

202/302-4373

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Jersey Passes Important Amputee Healthcare Legislation

At 8:45 pm on the last legislative day of the session, the New Jersey legislature passed a bill ensuring access to comprehensive coverage for orthotic and prosthetic care.  Sponsored by Senator Nia Gill, Senate Bill 502 mandates that insurance plans offer coverage for orthotic and prosthetic care without caps and co-pays that restrict access to prescribed devices.  The Assembly version (A1011) was sponsored by Assemblyman Neil Cohen.  The bill now awaits a signature from Governor Corzine. 

“Individuals who have undergone some type of amputation, such as an arm, leg, hand or foot, and children who are born with limb loss or difference, face many obstacles in their recovery and in their daily routines. Not being able to pay for limb replacement to return to work or lead productive lives shouldn’t be among them,” said Nancy Pinkin, the lead lobbyist behind Senate Bill 502.   

When an individual discovers that prosthetic care is not covered, they may have to resort to using retirement or children's college savings to purchase a prosthesis in order to continue working. Some take mortgages out on their homes or try to get bank loans to get the prosthesis they need. This bill closes the coverage gap. 

“For less a couple dollars per year, amputees in New Jersey will get the care they need to get back to work and live independent, productive lives,”  said Morgan Sheets, the national advocacy director for the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA).  “The subsequent cost to the healthcare system far exceeds that of providing prosthetic care, while the lack of productivity places a huge burden on society.”

A report put out by NovaRest Consulting by request of the New Jersey Mandated Health Benefits Advisory Commission found that prosthetic provision would cost only about 25 cents per $1,000 of premium.  The report stated that there may be reduced mental health care costs and disability costs due to the successful impact of the prosthesis.  The analysis also indicated that improved use of prosthetics would be expected to result in individuals experiencing less depression and allow more individuals to return to work.

“Our goal is to allow amputees to live their lives to the fullest, whether it is earning a living for themselves and their families or experiencing the everyday joys of life that are so often taken for granted,” added Richard Bray, one of the lead organizers for the New Jersey campaign.  Bray is part of the Prosthetic & Orthotic Society of New Jersey.  

In 2004, Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, Assemblyman Brian P. Stack and Assemblyman Cohen sponsored A2774.  The bill never left committee.  A1011 and S502 were reintroduced last year.  The Assembly version was referred to the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.  After testimony from patients, prosthetists and ACA staff, they passed the bill out of committee on They passed the bill out of committee in June of 2006. 

The ACA held a very successful event at the capital the following May leading up to a hearing with the Senate Commerce Committee.  The bill passed with an amendment that would also extend and ensure coverage for government employees covered by the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program (SHBP).  It was referred to the Budget and Appropriations Committee (SBA).  SBA recommended passage of the bill in a hearing on December 10^th, 2007.  S502 went on to pass in the Assembly and the Senate in the last legislative days of the session.    

New Jersey now joins Colorado, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California and Oregon in protecting access to prosthetic care.  The Amputee Coalition of America hopes that this new law will help create momentum for their national campaign. There are thirty states working to advance parity in 2008.  The ACA is also pushing for a bill in Congress to extend protections to plans that are regulated by the federal government and ensure access to care in every state.

“Many people living with the loss or absence of a limb face discouraging obstacles when trying to obtain prosthetic care. This has a devastating effect on amputees and their families. That is why parity legislation is so important,” added Sheets.

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*This page is funded by the ACA and not supported with CDC grant funding. Views expressed in the contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the ACA.