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. Key amendments include the insertion of new definitions and provisions in RSA 151, which exclude direct-pay and membership-based facilities from certain licensing policies and introduce a patient's bill of rights to ensure that patients are treated with dignity and informed of their rights and responsibilities.

Furthermore, the bill modifies existing language to clarify that certain policies regarding service provision and financial assistance do not apply to these newly defined facilities. It also mandates a study by the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate the impact of direct pay models on New Hampshire's health care system, with a report due to key legislative leaders by June 30, 2026. The bill does not allocate new funding or positions, and its fiscal impact on state revenues and expenditures is considered indeterminable. The effective date of the act is set for 60 days after its passage.

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