House Passes Bill to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Protections for Workers
October 3, 2022
The House pass the Mental Health Matters Act (H.R.7780), which
would hold employer-based health plans more accountable for
improper denials of mental health and substance use benefits. The
legislation also "would give the Department of Labor to enforce
plan requirement...
Biden Administration Awards More than $1.6B for Communities Addressing Addiction, Overdose Crisis
September 29, 2022
The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA), announced last week that more
than $1.6 ...
CMS Makes Public Additional Medicare-Certified Nursing Home Ownership Data
September 27, 2022
On September 26, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), announced it is making additional data publicly
available that will provide more information about the ownership
of all Medic...
Report Demonstrates Potential Impacts of Climate Change with Focus on Human Health
September 26, 2022
Earlier this week, the New Jersey Departments of Health and
Environmental Protection have released the first supplement to
the 2020 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change, which
presented the latest and most reliable scientific information on
the current and...
NJ Set to Continue Path to $15 Minimum Wage
September 22, 2022
In February of 2019, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation to
raise the minimum wage in New Jersey from $8.85 to $10 an hour
later that year. The same legislation put New Jersey on the path
to have a $15 minimum wage by 2024.
On January 1, 2020, the minimum wage...
NJ OAG Announces Availability of Funds for Creation of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Sites
September 20, 2022
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General has issued a Notice
of Availability of Funds for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2021
Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based
Program (COSSAP) Category 2: Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion
(LEAD) Sites...
NJ Is Ready to Continue Coverage for Preventive Care, regardless of Court Ruling that Threatens ACA
September 15, 2022
On September 7, 2022, U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled in
favor of a group claiming that the Affordable Care Act (ACA),
also known as Obamacare, requirements to cover HIV prevention
drugs violate their religious freedoms. In his ruling, District
Judge O'Conno...
New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission Issues Interim Guidance on Workplace Impairment
September 13, 2022
On Friday, September 9, 2022, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory
Commission (NJ-CRC) issued temporary guidance for identifying and
taking action against workplace impairment, specifically from
cannabis.
As stated in the guidance, the NJ-CRC "is charged with
pres...
DMHAS Adds Buprenorphine and Associated Services to SUD FFS Initiatives Contract Enhancement Package
September 12, 2022
The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
(DMHAS) has announced changes to the Substance Use
Disorder (SUD) Fee for Service (FFS) Initiatives Contract
Enhancement Package (Vivitrol) to include Buprenor...
New Jersey Set to Receive up to Nearly $36 Million in Multistate JUUL Settlement
September 8, 2022
On September 7, 2022, a multi-state settlement agreement was
reached between e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL and 34 states and
territories within the U.S. The initial lawsuit filed against
JUUL was led by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong. The
suit alleged that...
Most New Jersey School Districts Drop Mask Requirements and Relax COVID-19 Guidelines
September 7, 2022
As the school year is beginning around the State of New Jersey,
most districts in the state have dropped their mask requirements
for students and teachers, and have relaxed their COVID-19
guidelines, including those regarding testing.
Nearly all school districts ha...
Federal Govt. Proposes Rule to Simplify Healthcare Enrollment Process for Millions of Americans
September 6, 2022
On Wednesday, August 31, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration
proposed a new rule to overhaul the enrollment processes for
Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and
Basic Health Programs (BHPs), and eliminate arbitrary coverage
caps for children ...