This bill proposes significant amendments to existing health care facility licensing laws, specifically exempting direct-pay health care facilities from certain licensing requirements and the moratorium on new licenses and bed capacity for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. It allows for the establishment of facilities that operate on a membership-based business model or provide services exclusively to patients who pay directly for those services. The moratorium on licensing and bed capacity will not apply to these facilities, as well as to rehabilitation facilities focused on treating substance use disorders or mental health issues. The bill also amends various sections of RSA 151, including redefining "facility" to exclude direct-pay and membership-based facilities from certain regulations, and clarifying that the requirements for adopting written policies regarding service provision do not apply to these new business models.

Additionally, the bill introduces a Patients' Bill of Rights for direct-pay and membership-based facilities, ensuring that patients are treated with dignity, fully informed of their rights, and provided necessary information regarding their care. It specifies patients' rights to be informed about their medical conditions, participate in care planning, and maintain privacy, among others. The bill lifts the moratorium on licensing new health care facilities operating under a membership model, allowing them to be licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services, which will require these facilities to pay licensing fees. Furthermore, the Department is tasked with conducting a study on the impact of direct pay models on New Hampshire's health care system, with results due by June 30, 2026. The fiscal impact of the bill is indeterminable, as it does not provide funding or authorize new positions, but it is expected to influence state revenues and expenditures related to licensing fees and the study.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 151:2, 151:19, 151:2-f
As Amended by the House: 151:2, 151:19, 151:2-f