New Hampshire Bill Aims at Protecting Coverage for Individuals with Pre-existing Conditions

July 2019 ~

Governor Christopher Sununu has announced his intent to sign Senate Bill 4 that, if finalized, would protect health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

Senate Bill 4 would add to state law a mandate that insurance plans also cover a range of “essential health benefits” such as coverage for emergency services, maternity care, and rehabilitative services.

The bill would also prevent the re-emergence of lifetime caps on age or expenses for those on certain insurance plans.

“Governor Sununu has a long history of supporting protections for pre-existing conditions, and fully intends to sign this legislation,” a spokesman for Governor said in a statement.

State Representative and Chair of the House Commerce Committee, Ed Butler, released the following statement: “Protecting the rights of Granite Staters is a top priority of the New Hampshire House. This legislation protects coverage for those with preexisting conditions and protects access to substance misuse treatment and other benefits that would be lost if a pending challenge to the Affordable Care Act is upheld.”

“For many New Hampshire citizens, health care coverage is literally a life or death issue.  The Texas-based challenge currently threatening the ACA is treating everyday Granite Staters as political pawns in a battle to protect the interests of the for-profit pharmaceutical and insurance industries.  Governor Sununu’s refusal to join the 21 states fighting that challenge has only exacerbated uncertainty among vulnerable Granite Staters.”

“SB 4 ensures that thousands of New Hampshire citizens living with pre-existing conditions will retain their coverage even if the anarchic, partisan attacks on healthcare by the Trump administration are successful.  I thank the Governor for signing SB 4 today and ask him to finally take a stand for New Hampshire by directing the Attorney General to join the 21 other states fighting to protect the ACA in federal court.”

Source(s): NHPR; Concord Monitor; NH Labor News;