This bill mandates that insurance providers cover a variety of pain management therapies as alternatives to opioid treatments, specifically requiring coverage for behavioral health interventions, manual treatments, movement therapies, acupuncture, and massage therapy in both individual and group health insurance policies. Insurers must provide at least 12 visits for each category of pain management services and ensure coordination among licensed providers. Additionally, insurers are required to submit a comprehensive pain services management plan for approval by the insurance commissioner and provide educational materials about pain management options to policyholders and in-network providers. The bill also prohibits insurers from imposing more restrictive utilization controls on non-opioid therapies compared to those applied to opioid drugs, aiming to enhance access to non-opioid pain management options.

The bill introduces new legal language by adding provisions to RSA 415, specifically RSA 415:6-bb and RSA 415:18-gg and -hh, which expand health insurance coverage for pain management services. This includes coverage for alternative therapies such as mindfulness training, acupuncture, and movement therapy, with a minimum of 12 visits covered. Furthermore, the bill mandates an external actuarial review of the costs and benefits associated with the new coverage mandate to assess its financial implications. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, but it is noted that the rates for the 2025 plan year have already been established, which may lead to financial challenges for insurance companies due to potentially insufficient premiums to cover the new claims.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 420-A:2, 420-B:20