New Jersey Cancer Action Center

This week, New Jersey lawmakers approved legislation to improve access to biomarker testing with a unanimous vote by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Assembly Bill 4163 now awaits a vote on the Assembly floor. The Senate advanced identical legislation (Senate Bill 3098) in the Senate Commerce Committee last week, which now awaits further consideration by the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee. Advocates with the New Jersey Biomarker Testing Coalition are hopeful that the bills will receive the necessary support to secure swift passage in the new year.

Earlier today, Senate Bill 3098 was unanimously voted out of the Senate Commerce Committee. This legislation, which aims to ensure that biomarker testing is covered by Medicaid and all other state-regulated insurance plans when patients need it, now advances to the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee for further consideration. In October, the Assembly Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee approved identical legislation (Assembly Bill 4163), which now awaits a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Key public health, patient and provider groups have come out in support of improving access to biomarker testing in New Jersey, urging lawmakers to advance and pass Assembly Bill 4163 / Senate Bill 3098 this legislative session. This fall, a broad coalition of over 30 organizations, medical leaders and patient advocates wrote to members of the Assembly Financial Institutions & Insurance (AFI) Committee to vote in favor of A4163, which they did—unanimously—several weeks ago. Now, the New Jersey Biomarker Coalition is looking to the Assembly Appropriations and Senate Commerce Committees to take up this bill and follow the lead of their AFI member colleagues.

Today, the Assembly Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee voted to improve New Jerseyans’ access to biomarker testing, advancing Assembly Bill 4163 out of committee. Championed by Assemblymembers Shavonda Sumter, Gary Schaer and Shama Haider, the proposal would ensure biomarker testing is covered by New Jersey-regulated insurance plans, including Medicaid, when medical and scientific evidence shows it would provide a benefit to patients. Advocates now look to the full Assembly to favorably advance Assembly Bill 4163 to the Senate.