New Jersey became the second state to enact its own individual mandate penalty. On May 30, 2018, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bills into law that are designed to stabilize and reduce health insurance premiums in the individual market.

• The New Jersey Health Insurance Market Preservation Act is a state individual mandate, requiring individuals in New Jersey to maintain acceptable health coverage or pay a penalty, effective in 2019.
• The New Jersey Health Insurance Premium Security Act establishes a health insurance reinsurance plan in the state. New Jersey intends to seek federal funding for this program through a Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver made available under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

These new laws are among the first state laws passed in response to changes made to the federal ACA. New Jersey is only the second state to enact its own health insurance individual mandate.

To help administer the individual mandate penalty, the New Jersey Health Insurance Market Preservation Act imposes a reporting requirement on every entity that provides MEC to an individual during a calendar year, similar to the ACA’s reporting requirement under Internal Revenue Code Section 6055.

Refer to the below bulletin for additional information and contact your NEEBCo representative with questions.

New Jersey Enacts State Individual Mandate and Reinsurance Program