Statement from Governor Hassan on Signing Medicaid Managed Care Bill

Statement

Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement after today signing Senate Bill 553, relative to implementation of the Medicaid managed care program:

"The implementation of New Hampshire's Medicaid managed care program is critical to strengthening our health care system and to maximizing our health care dollars, but I have been clear that the implementation of so-called Step 2 should be driven by better services and only on a timeline that works for recipients, families, providers and all other stakeholders. By requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and present a plan before implementation -- a process that the department has been undertaking -- as well as allowing for a public hearing and a public comment period, Senate Bill 553 will help ensure that we get Step 2 right.

"I thank legislators from both parties, families, advocates, providers and all other stakeholders for their continued efforts on Medicaid managed care. I am pleased to sign this bipartisan bill into law and look forward to continuing to work with recipients, families, providers and all other stakeholders to strengthen our health care system through the effective implementation of Medicaid managed care to ensure that we are protecting both patients and health care providers."

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