The New Hampshire Needs Caregivers Act seeks to tackle the health care workforce shortage in the state by enhancing access to primary health care services and increasing funding for workforce recruitment and retention. The bill mandates the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to amend its contract with the Bi-State Primary Care Association to create a Public-Private Health Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Hub. This hub will promote collaboration among health care services and support initiatives such as marketing campaigns to attract clinicians, nursing mentoring programs, and loan repayment opportunities for health care professionals. The bill appropriates a total of $4,748,500 for FY 2026 and $4,998,500 for FY 2027 from the general fund to support these efforts.

In addition to workforce initiatives, the bill allocates $2,000,000 for opioid treatment programs for both FY 2026 and FY 2027, aimed at increasing reimbursement rates for providers serving the Medicaid population and the Granite Advantage Program. The DHHS is also authorized to accept and utilize any available federal funds for these initiatives without prior approval from the fiscal committee. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in building a sustainable health care workforce while addressing the ongoing opioid crisis in New Hampshire.