This bill introduces a new section to RSA 332-I that prohibits both public and private health carriers from mandating the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) by healthcare providers. Specifically, the bill states that health carriers cannot require providers to use EMRs, withhold fees for not using them, dictate a specific format for EMRs, or limit the information contained within EMRs beyond essential demographic details necessary for patient identification and treatment purposes. The new legal language inserted into the law emphasizes the autonomy of healthcare providers in choosing their record-keeping methods without facing penalties or restrictions from health carriers.

The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage and does not allocate any funding or authorize new positions. While it is expected to have indeterminable fiscal impacts on state and local revenues and expenditures, the Insurance Department notes that the shift away from EMRs could lead to increased administrative costs for both providers and health carriers. This may result in higher compensation demands from providers and potential premium increases from health carriers to maintain profitability, ultimately affecting health insurance costs for counties and localities.