Assemblyman Schnall, sponsor of A5383, told the Assembly Health Committee that the bill would require Medicaid to cover medical visits, blood tests and imaging tied to ovulation‑enhancing drugs for certain beneficiaries experiencing infertility. “For reasons that none of us know, Medicaid does not cover the costs of those extra doctor visits, x rays, and so on,” Schnall said.

The proposal, which the committee voted to release as amended, aims to reduce financial barriers for Medicaid enrollees who are prescribed fertility medications but face additional monitoring needs. The measure’s sponsor framed it as a “common sense piece of legislation” and cited other states that have expanded Medicaid to cover similar services.

Committee members who spoke in support highlighted equity and reproductive‑health concerns for people on Medicaid. Assemblyman Atkins said the bill stands for “reproductive health as well as health justice for women on Medicaid.” Several members asked about the bill’s dependence on the federal‑state Medicaid matching rate; Schnall told the committee the bill assumes the current 90/10 federal‑state match remains intact and that the measure is “dependent upon that being intact.”

Opponents did not speak during the committee’s on‑the‑record discussion. Chairwoman Murphy said the committee views the bill as “an extremely important bill.” On a roll call the committee released the bill by a vote of 8 in favor and 2 opposed: Assemblymen/Assemblywomen Munoz, Azaridi, Barelli, Peter Paul, Donlon, Atkins and Chairwoman Murphy voted yes; Assemblymen Rumpf and Peterson voted no.

The bill is now positioned to move forward in the legislative process; committee members said they expect more debate about federal funding and implementation details as the measure advances.