Healthcare

failed · New Hampshire · House May 5, 2026

HB 1809: establishing a medical psilocybin advisory board to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the use of psilocybin for therapeutic purposes.

HB 1809 would establish a regulated program under New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services allowing licensed medical providers to use psilocybin for specific qualifying conditions. It directly affects patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, or substance use disorders (and potentially other conditions approved later), and medical providers who must be separately approved as both practitioners and producers of psilocybin. Key provisions include creating a state program to approve providers/producers, requiring public listing of approved providers, mandating data collection for program evaluation, and defining psilocybin as naturally occurring (excluding synthetic versions). The bill sets up a supervised therapeutic framework with strict requirements for provider applications, facility locations, and patient eligibility.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes psilocybin therapy for mental health conditions (depression, PTSD), expanding access to novel treatments under state-regulated program, directly advancing mental health care services.95% confidence

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died · New Hampshire · Senate Aug 20, 2026

SB 520: relative to breast surgeries for minors.

SB 520 allows physicians to perform breast surgery on minors for non-medical reasons, expanding existing exceptions. It adds a new provision permitting the procedure "at the election of the minor in consultation with her primary care physician," removing prior restrictions that limited surgery to medical conditions like gynecomastia or congenital deformities. The bill directly affects minors seeking breast reduction or reconstruction surgery who do not qualify under existing medical necessity exceptions. It requires the minor’s consent and physician consultation but does not mandate parental consent. The change modifies New Hampshire law to include this patient-choice option for breast surgeries.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves medical necessity restrictions for minors' breast surgery, expanding access to healthcare services through patient choice and physician consultation.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Primary Care

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failed · New Hampshire · House Feb 12, 2026

HB 1596: relative to the collection of certain health care program premiums; funding for the university system of New Hampshire; and raising the tobacco tax.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRaises tobacco tax to fund university system ($18M/year), increasing state revenue while restoring education funding.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAppropriates $18M annually to restore university system funding, directly advancing higher education support per bill summary.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareDefunds two health programs (CHIP and Granite Advantage) while redirecting tobacco tax revenue to universities, directly reducing healthcare coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue Higher Education Children's Health Insurance

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failed · New Hampshire · House May 8, 2026

HB 1071: repealing immunity afforded health care facilities when following directives adopted in response to the COVID-19 state of emergency.

HB 1071 repeals a legal immunity that previously protected healthcare facilities (like hospitals and clinics) when they followed rules or orders issued during New Hampshire's COVID-19 state of emergency. This bill specifically removes the immunity provision found in RSA 21-P:42-a, meaning facilities could now face legal liability for actions taken under those emergency directives. The repeal takes effect upon the bill's passage, directly affecting healthcare providers that operated under pandemic-era mandates. It makes no new rules but changes the legal landscape for facilities complying with past emergency orders.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRepeals legal immunity for healthcare facilities under pandemic directives, increasing liability risk for providers and weakening operational protections during emergencies.95% confidence

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in committee · New Hampshire · House Aug 21, 2026

HB 1638: creating a bypass mechanism for health insurer step therapy protocols when medically necessary.

HB 1638 creates a process for healthcare providers to bypass step therapy protocols when a patient's condition requires it, directly affecting patients and providers in insurance plans that use step therapy. Step therapy typically forces patients to try less expensive medications first before coverage is provided for more expensive alternatives. The bill requires step therapy protocols to be based on updated clinical guidelines developed by expert panels and mandates that insurers must grant an override request when providers demonstrate medical necessity, including conditions like advanced cancer or serious mental illness. This establishes a clear, evidence-based pathway to avoid unnecessary treatment delays without altering existing insurance coverage rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates insurers to bypass step therapy protocols when medically necessary, improving patient access to required treatments and directly addressing a barrier in healthcare coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Mental Health Prescription Drugs

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passed · New Hampshire · Senate Aug 21, 2026

SB 498: relative to children's mental health services for persons 18 years of age and younger.

SB 498 creates the New Hampshire Children's Behavioral Health Association to fund mental health services for children under 18. The association will collect mandatory assessments (fees) from insurance companies, stop-loss carriers, and third-party administrators covering children in the state, excluding Medicaid recipients. Funds gathered will be deposited into a dedicated fund managed by the insurance commissioner and used to pay care management entities providing specific services like intensive in-home therapy, structured outpatient programs, and care coordination. This directly affects insurers (who pay assessments), care management organizations (who receive payments), and children under 18 with covered health plans (who gain access to funded services).

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates mandatory funding for children's mental health services via insurance assessments, directly advancing healthcare access for minors under 18.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health

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in committee · New Hampshire · House Feb 12, 2026

HB 1755: relative to the 340B discounted drug purchasing program.

HB 1755 requires New Hampshire hospitals and clinics participating in the federal 340B drug discount program to annually report detailed financial data to the state Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General. This includes costs of drugs purchased under the program, payments received, how savings are used for charity care or community health services, and patient demographics broken down by payer type (e.g., Medicaid, uninsured). The report must cover all 340B-covered entities with a New Hampshire service address, including offsite facilities. The state will compile and share aggregated data with the legislature to increase transparency around how program savings benefit patients.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates reporting on 340B savings allocation for charity care/community health, ensuring funds directly support healthcare access and underserved populations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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failed · New Hampshire · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 1070: relative to the involuntary emergency admission process.

HB 1070 mandates that individuals placed in protective custody for suspected mental health crises must be transported by ambulance to a hospital or designated mental health site for evaluation, rather than by law enforcement. This applies directly to people experiencing acute mental health emergencies who are deemed a danger to themselves or others. The bill requires emergency medical technicians to provide care during transport, sets a 6-hour limit for protective custody, and allows law enforcement to override ambulance transport only if the individual poses a safety risk to medical personnel. It does not change eligibility criteria for involuntary admission but standardizes the initial transport process for mental health evaluations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeShifts mental health crisis response from law enforcement to medical personnel, reducing criminalization of mental health issues and aligning with reform goals.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates medical transport (ambulance/EMTs) for mental health crises, sets 6-hour limit, requires medical care during transport, improving access to mental health evaluation and protecting patient rights.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Hospitals Mental Health

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passed · New Hampshire · Senate Aug 21, 2026

SB 647: authorizing the department of insurance to participate in a cooperative procurement group via an intergovernmental agreement for a prescription drug discount program.

SB 647 authorizes New Hampshire's Department of Insurance to join a cooperative group with other states to secure lower prices on prescription drugs through a discount program. The bill enables the department to form an intergovernmental agreement for this purpose, requiring approval from the governor and executive council. This would directly affect the Department of Insurance's operations and potentially reduce prescription drug costs for state residents. The program would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes cooperative drug discount program to lower prescription costs, improving patient access to medications and reducing financial barriers for state residents.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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in committee · New Hampshire · House Aug 21, 2026

HB 1231: requiring health care providers to disclose medical services billed to the patient's insurance carrier.

HB 1231 requires health care providers (like hospitals, clinics, and doctors) to give patients a detailed written or electronic statement within 15 business days after billing their insurance. The statement must list each medical service provided, the date, billing codes, amounts billed to insurance, what insurance paid or denied, and any remaining patient balance. This directly affects patients receiving care and providers who must disclose billing details they previously may not have shared. The law aims to increase transparency about insurance claims without changing how providers bill insurers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires provider billing transparency to protect patient rights and clarify insurance payments, aligning with patient rights protection under healthcare support.95% confidence

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