TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chairman and lead sponsor of the “Out-of-Network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment and Accountability Act” (S-1285), issued the following statement today:
“The Out-of-Network bill was scheduled to be heard this afternoon in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. As many of you know, the sponsors have continued to work to achieve a consensus among the stakeholders.
“Those efforts have resulted in making great strides with the Hospital Association to achieve that end.
“Over the course of this past weekend, we have heard from a number of stakeholders who have long supported the bill, asking that we allow additional time for them to understand the substance of the results of the discussions with the Hospital Association.
“Consistent with my commitment to having as thorough and as open a process as possible, I have asked that the bill be held for today.
“I remain confident that efforts of working to build consensus will result in the strongest consumer protection out-of-network bill in the country.”
