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A1962 • 2026

Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.

Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Quijano, Annette
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Infrastructure Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.

Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.
  • Topic: Health Infrastructure Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Infrastructure Committee

Official Summary Text

Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.
Topic:
Health Infrastructure
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1962

ASSEMBLY, No. 1962

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes cap on amount that hospital can charge
patients for laboratory services to 150% of Medicare.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning hospital charges for laboratory
services and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� Except as provided by
section 1 of P.L.2008, c.60 (C.26:2H-12.52), a hospital that is licensed by the
Department of Health pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et al.) shall
charge a patient in this State an amount no greater than 150 percent of the
applicable payment rate under the federal Medicare program, established
pursuant to Pub.L.89-97 (42 U.S.C. s.1395 et seq.), for any laboratory services
that are rendered to the patient.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would prohibit a
hospital from billing certain patients for laboratory services in an amount
that exceeds 150% of the applicable payment rate under the federal Medicare
program.�

���� Under existing law, at
P.L.2008, c.60 (C.26:2H-12.52 et seq.), whenever a hospital provides health
care services (including laboratory services) to an uninsured patient whose
family gross income is less than 500% of the federal poverty level, the hospital
is prohibited from charging the patient more than 115% of the applicable
payment rate for those services under the federal Medicare program.� This bill
would establish a similar cap on charges for laboratory services that are
provided to patients who do not satisfy the income and other requirements of
P.L.2008, c.60.� In particular, the bill would provide that, except in cases
where the provisions of P.L.2008, c.60 are applicable, a hospital will be
prohibited from charging a patient in this State more than 150% of the
applicable payment rate under the federal Medicare program for any laboratory
services that are rendered to the patient.� The existing 115% cap established
under P.L.2008, c.60 would still be applicable to laboratory and other health
care services that are provided by a hospital to uninsured persons who satisfy
the applicable income requirements.