NJ A2304

Hospitals providing breast cancer surgical services (mastectomy, lymph node dissection, lumpectomy) must give patients written notice of their right to consult with any board-certified plastic surgeon for reconstructive surgery, regardless of hospital affiliation or network status

Patients must be informed of their right to obtain reconstructive surgery from any board-certified plastic surgeon and notified of health insurance coverage availability under state and federal law

Written notice must be provided upon the hospital's notification of a breast cancer diagnosis and before obtaining consent to surgical procedures

Contracts between health insurance carriers and healthcare providers cannot prohibit or limit providers from recommending plastic surgeons outside their network for breast reconstruction services

Insurance carriers cannot deny authorization for reconstructive surgery or related services based solely on a plastic surgeon's network status or hospital affiliation; the law takes effect 90 days after enactment