Governor Hassan's Statement on Bipartisan House Vote on New Hampshire Health Protection Program

Statement

Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement on the bipartisan vote by the New Hampshire House of Representatives to pass House Bill 1696, requesting a modification of the New Hampshire health protection program:

"Thanks to the bipartisan New Hampshire Health Protection Program, more than 47,000 hard-working Granite Staters now have the health and financial security that comes with quality, affordable health coverage. Our hospitals have also seen a significant decline in inpatient, outpatient and emergency room visits by uninsured Granite Staters, leading to a decrease in uncompensated care and reducing healthcare cost-shifting onto all of our people and businesses. And as we continue our efforts to combat the heroin and opioid crisis, thousands of Granite Staters have accessed substance abuse and behavioral health services through coverage under expansion, which is critical to increasing treatment capacity in New Hampshire.

"It's clear that the New Hampshire Health Protection Program is making a real difference for our people and boosting our economy, and I applaud the bipartisan majority of the House who has recognized the importance of our successful expansion plan. Today's vote is a step forward and I look forward to working with members from both parties and both chambers on finalizing the reauthorization of this critical program."

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