This bill establishes an Uncompensated Health Care Fund within the state treasury to support non-profit safety-net health care providers delivering medically necessary services to uninsured individuals. The fund will be financed through a surcharge on commercial health insurance carriers, reinsurers, and certain self-insured plans in New Hampshire, with the stipulation that these costs cannot be passed on to consumers or included in premium costs. An advisory committee will be created to recommend criteria for determining the annual level of uncompensated care to be funded and assist in the allocation of funds to qualified providers. The bill also introduces new sections into RSA 400-A and RSA 404-G to define the fund and establish the assessment mechanism, ensuring the fund is nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the insurance department.

Additionally, the bill outlines the responsibilities of the Insurance Department in administering the fund, including calculating uncompensated care costs and distributing funds to eligible providers. It sets a start date of January 1, 2026, for the program, contingent on enactment by July 1, 2025, with quarterly assessments beginning in 2026. Concerns have been raised regarding the ambiguous definition of "uncompensated care," which could lead to unintended consequences, such as disincentivizing insurance coverage and increasing the financial burden on health insurers. The bill's implementation is expected to require hiring additional staff, resulting in increased expenditures for the state, while the prohibition on passing costs onto consumers may lead to indeterminable increases in state expenditures for health benefits for employees and retirees. Overall, the bill presents significant financial and administrative challenges, with potential impacts on health insurance coverage and costs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 404-G:1, 404-G:2, 6:12