Healthcare

SB 134 requires New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services to resubmit a federal waiver application to CMS by July 1, 2025, seeking approval to enforce work requirements as a condition of Medicaid eligibility under the Granite Advantage program. The bill also mandates annual reports to the legislature starting November 1, 2025, detailing the waiver status and implementation progress. This bill does not change current Medicaid rules, as work requirements are not currently in effect; it only sets a process for the state to seek federal approval to potentially implement such requirements. The bill has no immediate cost but may lead to future expenses if the waiver is approved and implemented.

HB 392 directs the dissolution of three specific state entities: the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Health Equity, the Department of Environmental Services' environmental justice programs, and the Governor's Council on Diversity and Inclusion. The bill prohibits these agencies from re-establishing these offices or using any allocated funds for projects labeled "health equity" or "civil rights and environmental justice." It also removes the Office of Health Equity director position from state statute and repeals related membership requirements. This bill affects state agencies' program structures and funding allocations, with no new funding provided or positions authorized.

HB 1596 raises New Hampshire's cigarette and little cigar tax from $1.78 to $2.80 per pack of 20, increasing revenue for state funds. It appropriates $18 million annually to New Hampshire's university system to restore higher education funding to 2024 levels. The bill also stops collecting premiums for two health programs: the Children's Health Insurance Program and the NH Granite Advantage health care program. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, with tobacco tax revenue funding the university appropriation and education trust fund.

This bill requires schools to obtain written parental consent for each new medical service provided to students enrolled in the Medicaid to schools program. It defines "each new service" as any new Medicaid diagnostic code (ICD code), meaning consent must be renewed for each distinct health service. The bill directly affects students receiving school-based Medicaid health services and their parents or legal guardians. Schools must implement this consent process starting January 1, 2026, and the state must submit annual reports on program costs and participation to legislative committees.