Press Releases

Concord, NH – Today, House and Senate leaders called on New Hampshire‟s congressional delegation to support the waiver application, including the work requirement provisions outlined in HB 1696 signed into law yesterday, that is being prepared by the State‟s Department of Health and Human Services.

“By including work requirements in a bill that passed by a large margin in both the House and Senate, and became law just yesterday, it is clear that the legislature supports this personal responsibility measure and will work to ensure that those receiving benefits as part of the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan [NHHPP] who can work, should work in order to continue receiving benefits,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley. “We ask our congressional delegation to lead the fight in Washington to help New Hampshire obtain approval from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services [CMS] to be the pilot program for a reasonable, responsible work requirement program as part of the NHHPP in our state.”

“In New Hampshire, we take our „First in the Nation‟ status very seriously when it comes to presidential elections, and the nation looks to us for direction on who is a viable leader for our country, and what policies are pragmatic and can move our nation forward,” said House Speaker Shawn Jasper (R-Hudson). “This status shouldn‟t be limited to picking candidates. We are positioned to lead in this very important policy area. The people of New Hampshire support implementation of work requirements in order to receive benefits, and our representatives in Washington have a fiduciary duty to do what they can to make sure the state is authorized to carry forward this important program as intended by language in HB 1696.”

“We believe with the proper advocacy in Washington, we will be better positioned for our program to receive a green light. The people of New Hampshire and their elected leaders in Concord need our congressional delegation to take the ball and run with it,” said House Majority Leader Richard Hinch (R-Merrimack). “We ask Senators Ayotte and Shaheen, and

Representatives Guinta and Kuster to join us in our endeavor to implement this reasonable personal responsibility measure into a program benefiting almost 50,000 low income citizens.”

Background: HB 1696, requesting a modification of the New Hampshire Health Protection Program passed the State Senate on March 31 by a 16-8 vote after passing the House by a 216- 145 vote on March 9. The bill aims to extend the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan through December of 2017 utilizing federal Medicaid expansion funds, with in-state hospitals and insurance carriers picking up the balance of the cost of care. As a result, HB 1696 contains no new taxes or fees, and does not utilize any state general funds.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has yet to approve work requirement programs from other states, and has not publically indicated a position or likely outcome on the New Hampshire waiver application.

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Concord, NH -Today, HB 1696 became law, reauthorizing the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan for two years.

Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) and House Speaker Shawn Jasper issued the following statements on the passage of HB 1696 into law.

“I am pleased to see HB 1696 become law today because it means 48,000 New Hampshire citizens will continue to receive health care, including access to substance abuse treatment services, while also lowering uncompensated care and keeping a lid on rising health insurance costs in the state,“ said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R- Wolfeboro).

“I am particularly proud and thankful for the legislature’s dedication and hard work on the legislation to reauthorize the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan [NHHPP]. The legislature was committed to seeing both increased protections for New Hampshire taxpayers while providing health care to low-income families and access to critical substance abuse benefits amidst a heroin and opioid crisis affecting communities across our state. We achieved all of these goals and will advocate so that those who are receiving health care under this program are working, volunteering or furthering their education so they can become financially independent,” said Bradley. “Passage of this important legislation continues a unique New Hampshire solution that protects taxpayers, continues to provide private health insurance to low income families for two years and helps transition them to independence by getting them back to work.”

“I made it clear more than year ago that Medicaid Expansion would only be possible if we agreed on a plan that did not use New Hampshire tax dollars. I am proud to say that, by working together with the Senate, we were able to accomplish that goal,” said Speaker Jasper.

“The bill passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Hassan is clearly a New Hampshire solution that not only benefits the people who receive health care, but also businesses, providers and taxpayers, with the reduction in social service costs for the state, counties and municipalities. Medicaid expansion makes good financial sense—alleviating the strain on local welfare offices at a time of dwindling budgets. The savings realized

because of our actions will help in dealing with the opioid crisis that we are still facing in New Hampshire. At the end of the day, this was not a referendum on the Affordable Care Act. It was about doing the right thing, both morally and fiscally, for the people of our State,” added Jasper.

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Concord, NH – Today, the Senate passed HB 1696, reauthorizing the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan for two years.

Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem) and Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) issued statements following the vote.

“Passage of this important legislation ensures that our neediest families will continue to receive private health insurance for two more years, requires them to work, or train for work and does so in a way that protects taxpayers,” said Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem).

“The reauthorization of the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan not only provides 48,000 of our neediest citizens with private health insurance by leveraging federal dollars, it also protects New Hampshire taxpayers. It does so by maintaining a separate trust fund outside of the state’s budget, establishing a two year reauthorization requirement, and preventing the use of any new or increased taxes, fees and uses voluntary contributions rather than general funds”

“One of our original goals in drafting the program was to reduce the high cost of healthcare and the very real burden on ratepayers from those who receive health care and can’t pay for it – also known as uncompensated care. This hidden tax reached a level that surpassed the collection of business taxes. This program is clearly working since uncompensated care has been reduced by nearly $150 million in a short amount of time. This is critical to slowing the increase in rising health care costs for families and employers alike and I look forward to it becoming law,” said Morse.

“I am proud of the Senate’s bipartisan vote to reauthorize the New Hampshire Health Protection plan for two more years today. This legislation will continue coverage for the 48,000 New Hampshire citizens who have been accessing health insurance since the program began while also providing 40% of the funding for substance abuse treatment services statewide,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R- Wolfeboro).

“I am particularly pleased that this bill includes enhances taxpayer protections by prohibiting any new taxes, fees or general funds from supporting this program. I also believe in helping people gain independence, not increase their dependence on government programs, which is why I support the work requirements in this bill. This legislation will advocate that single, able-bodied adults are working, volunteering or furthering their education in order to receive health insurance so that eventually, they can eventually become financially independent of the state.”

“We’ve seen this program meet our expectations by providing low-income individuals and families with private health insurance, while also reducing the cost of uncompensated care, putting a lid on rising health care costs for taxpayers. This program has also been the most effective provider of critical substance abuse benefits which more than 6,000 individuals have accessed in the middle of the heroin and opioid crisis facing New Hampshire,” said Bradley.

“This legislation will ensure that these priorities are maintained for the next two years, when we will again take a close look at the program to make sure that it is working as intended for New Hampshire.”

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Concord, NH -The Senate Finance Committee today voted ought to pass on HB 1696, a bill to reauthorize the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan for two years. Without this legislation, the current plan is set to end in December 2016.

Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) issued a statement following the Finance Committees vote on HB 1696.

“I want to thank the Senators who voted for HB 1696 today because it means we are one step closer to providing continuity of care through access to private health insurance for 48,000 New Hampshire citizens currently part of the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan.

“The program has allowed more than 6,000 individuals access to critical substance abuse treatment programs amidst a heroin crisis in our state that is the most significant public health emergency in recent memory. This program has also significantly reduced the cost of uncompensated care at hospitals by nearly $150 million, which has put a break on the rise of health insurance costs for New Hampshire citizens since it began 18 months ago.”

“This new legislation has strengthened taxpayer protections and ensures that any funding for the program is outside of the State’s general fund, and is in no way supported by taxpayer dollars.”

“We’ve built this plan in HB 1696 to be reflective of the original intent of the program, which means we have a New Hampshire specific plan that provides access by low income families to private health insurance using federal dollars and I believe it is the right thing to do for New Hampshire citizens.”

The Senate will vote on HB 1696 this Thursday during Session.

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Concord, NH -The Senate passed a bill today, SB 533 that would provide a $5 million boost to the $80 million that the state is already spending to tackle the heroin and opioid crisis in New Hampshire.

Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro), who recently chaired the Joint Legislative Task Force of the Heroin Crisis proposed this legislation, which also calls on the Governor to prioritize spending on the drug crisis, and Senate Finance Chair Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith) issued statements following the vote.

“In the state’s operating budget, which passed following the Governor’s veto in September, we increased substance abuse funding by 75% over the previous budget. But given the prolonged heroin and opioid crisis affecting our communities statewide, this additional funding is necessary to enhance treatment and recovery resources available to our friends and neighbors suffering from addiction,” said Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro). “There are several areas in the budget where we can identify savings and we urge the Governor to prioritize her spending and put this savings to work to fight the drug crisis and I look forward to working with her in this effort.”

“The legislation we passed today would augment the resources and legislative changes we’ve already provided. This bill adds reporting requirements for the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, while including an additional $5 million in unspent funds in the budget to address prevention, treatment and recovery needs. This bill also supports a new position in the Attorney General’s office for the sole purpose of enforcing substance abuse laws in New Hampshire,” said Senator Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith).

“Additional reporting requirements put in place with this bill will help determine which programs are most successful in slowing this crisis so we can focus any new resources where they will be most effective for those suffering from addiction.”

“The New Hampshire legislature has been resolute in its commitment to providing effective, long-term solutions to end the heroin and opioid crisis in New Hampshire, and we were able to expedite three bills which passed into law that appropriate $5 million in new money for the express purpose of combating the crisis. Since we all agree that combating this crisis is a shared priority, and we know there are unspent funds available because of the Governor’s failure to staff emergency recovery services, she should support putting these dollars to back to work to curb this crisis,” added Forrester.

Attached:
Protected Substance Use Related Spending 2016/17

 $5 million in new funding comes from bills signed into law: SB 464, SB 485, and SB 522

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Concord, NH – Today, the Senate voted to expand efforts to improve New Hampshire’s economy, create jobs and encourage business growth by passing two bills, SB 342, to remove tax penalties for businesses selling or exchanging ownership and SB 552, a bill that would allow small businesses to take a greater deduction from their business profits for capital expenditures.

“SB 342, allows the Senate to build on the first business tax cuts adopted in more than 20 years as part of the 2016-17 budget, making New Hampshire a more competitive place to do business, “said Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) “This legislation removes a burdensome tax on capital formation, which significantly impacts New Hampshire startups, and small businesses who are seeking opportunities to create jobs and grow their business in our state.”

“SB 342 removes an income tax on small businesses that has proven to be a barrier for continued growth and expansion for startups and tech industry businesses in New Hampshire. By removing this restriction, our state will build a stronger economic foundation for our thriving small businesses and startups to expand operations, or grow jobs in New Hampshire without being penalized for their success,” said Senator David Boutin (R-Hooksett).

“The Senate has made improving the business environment in the state a priority this session and this bill, SB 552 would bring New Hampshire in line with 37 other states who match the federal standards, allowing capital expenditures to be deducted from their business profits,” said Senator Andy Sanborn (R- Bedford). “This change will encourage our small employers to invest their hard earned money back into their businesses and create jobs, as the 179 deduction only works if the business buys equipment or expands.”

“Every time we find a place where New Hampshire has lost its competitive advantage, the Senate has committed to fixing those gaps and ensuring that this state is an attractive place to operate a business,” said Sanborn.

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Concord, NH – As a result of urging by the Legislature, Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) and Senate Finance Chair Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith) commended the recent efforts by DRED to publicize and promote new laws reducing business tax rates designed to draw businesses to New Hampshire to help create jobs.

“We know that the recent cuts to business taxes in New Hampshire are a strong incentive for new, small businesses to open and existing businesses to move into our state. However, if prospective employers don’t know about these cuts, the first of their kind in more than 20 years, the benefits to New Hampshire’s economy won’t be realized,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro).

“We were disappointed to learn that this meaningful reduction of business taxes passed into law was not actively being used as a tool to attract businesses to New Hampshire by DRED, which is why we created legislation that would require the department to aggressively market these benefits. We are pleased to learn that DRED has improved on these efforts and as a result, the bill is no longer necessary. We applaud DRED’s efforts to market yet another New Hampshire Advantage and look forward to the expanded business opportunities to come,” added Bradley.

“We know that the business tax reductions included in the budget make New Hampshire more competitive nationally, allowing small businesses to keep more of their hard earned profits, reinvest in their workforce, to grow, expand, and maintain a stronger economic impact on the state as a whole,” said Senator Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith), Senate Finance Chair. “We want to make sure we are letting businesses nationwide know that New Hampshire is open for business and we expect DRED will continue to promote this benefit to prospective businesses in a strong, coordinated effort, utilizing the resources they have at their disposal.”

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Concord, NH – Today, the Senate passed legislation, SB 533, which would increase reporting requirements for substance abuse spending, and provide additional resources for critical priorities in the Department of Health and Human Services and Attorney General’s office.

“The Senate has made significant progress in working to combat the heroin and opioid crisis in the state and we all agree that we need to continue working to address these issues, but we must make sure that we are effectively spending taxpayer money before we can responsibly appropriate additional funding to address this issue. The legislation passed today includes additional oversight and reporting requirements from the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery so that we can make sure funds are being spent as effectively as possible to combat this crisis,” said Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem).

“As chair of the Joint Task Force on the response to the opioid and heroin crisis in the state, I agree that we should take every opportunity to ensure resources are being utilized to the best of their ability to combat this crisis, and by creating greater reporting requirement, we will be able to focus resources where there is the greatest need and where they are proven to be most effective,” said Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro). “This bill also establishes a new position in the Attorney General’s office to prosecute drug-related cases, creates a grant program for peer to peer recovery services, and provides the Governor the authority to use nearly $3 million in unspent funds within the Department of Health and Human Services to address other critical priorities. We expect the Governor will act quickly to direct these resources where they are needed most within DHHS, and we will begin to see positive results.”

“In light of several unanticipated financial obligations, we have prioritized finding ways to curb the opioid crisis and committed an additional 75% increase in funding in the state’s budget to address these issues. That being said, we also need to put in place accountability measures to both ensure money is well-spent, and this legislation gives the Governor the ability to transfer unspent funds in the Department of Health and Human Services to bolster those programs showing the most success,” said Senator Andy Sanborn (R-Bedford).

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Concord, NH – Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) issued the following statement upon the House’s vote to pass the NH Health Protection Plan reauthorization legislation.

“I applaud the New Hampshire House of Representatives for their support of HB 1696, to reauthorize the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan. Supporting this legislation is the right thing to do for the state of New Hampshire because it means 48,000 citizens have health insurance, which reduces the cost of uncompensated care and slows the increase in health care costs for individuals and businesses. This program has also helped nearly 6,000 individuals suffering from substance abuse or addiction by providing them with critical treatment options.”

“This reauthorization proposal also includes a number of taxpayer protections, strengthened by the House Finance Committee amendments, ensuring that there are no new taxes, or fees and general fund dollars cannot be used to pay for this program. Additionally, if Federal funding falls short, the program will end.”

“The Senate looks forward to receiving this bill and working together to make sure that 48,000 citizens can continue to receive health care in our state.”

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Concord, NH – Today, the Senate Finance Committee heard a bill, SB 526, which would require the Department of Resources and Economic Development to promote reductions to New Hampshire’s business tax rates as part of their marketing pitches to potential employers and out-of-state companies looking to relocate.

Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) issued a statement following the bill’s introduction.

“This bill would require that a portion of the marketing and promotional budget within the Department of Resources and Economic Development be spent specifically for the purpose of promoting New Hampshire’s business tax reductions in an effort to encourage new business and out of state employers to set up shop in the Granite State,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro).

“The business tax reductions passed in 2015 help re-establish New Hampshire as a competitive state to do business, where small startups and tech businesses can grow and create jobs. By appropriating funds specifically for the promotion of low taxes, we continue to encourage this type of business growth so critical for New Hampshire’s economy,” said Bradley.

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