This new law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature. Today, New Jersey joins Maryland and California as leaders in protecting the rights of the LGBT community and ensuring equal access to infertility treatment regardless of sexual preference or marital status.
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Shockingly” until today a woman had to prove that she had been having unprotected intercourse with a male partner for 12 months without conception in order to receive coverage for infertility treatments.
We are proud of our Legislature for recognizing how discriminatory and outdated this definition of infertility was and for voting to require the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees Health Benefits Plan to provide expanded availability of insurance coverage for infertility-related health benefits.
‘Families come in all configurations. By broadening access to fertility coverage” ” New Jersey continues to lead the way in showing respect for all families’ said William S. Singer of Singer & Fedun.
As prime sponsor Pamela Lampitt (D) stated ” ‘No one should be denied coverage for health services due to their sexual orientation. New Jersey has always been on the front lines of the fight for equality” ” but outdated regulation like this continues to hold us back.’
In our fight to achieve equality for LGBT New Jerseyans we continue to emphasize health and wellness. We do this because we know that LGBT people are not equal until we have equal access to health care and health insurance coverage including access to medical technologies that help make our families possible. We also laude this vote as a win for women”s reproductive rights at a time when those rights have come under fire.
We thank our allies in the Legislature especial Senators Loretta Weinberg Nia Gill and Grace Spencer and Assembly Persons Pamela Lampitt Valerie Vainieri Huttle Joann Downey John McKeon Raj Mukherji Jamel Holley and Marlene Caride.
