Committee Summary for Senate Health and Human Services (01/15/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB18 00:03:05.440 - 8:00:46 AM	Public Hearing	permitting the commissioner of health and human services to authorize additional beds for a pediatric intermediate care facility under certain circumstances.	Rosenwald, Cindy(D)[CT]2024
SB18 00:19:15.240 - 8:16:56 AM	Executive Session	permitting the commissioner of health and human services to authorize additional beds for a pediatric intermediate care facility under certain circumstances.	Rosenwald, Cindy(D)[CT]2024
SB37 2024-1453h 00:21:18.640 - 8:18:59 AM	Public Hearing	relative to residential care and health facility licensing.	Pearl, Howard (R)[C+]2024
SB37 2024-1453h 00:41:12.160 - 8:38:53 AM	Executive Session	relative to residential care and health facility licensing.	Pearl, Howard (R)[C+]2024
SB17 00:41:29.720 - 8:39:10 AM	Public Hearing	relative to insurance cost-sharing calculations.	Innis, Daniel(R)[C+]2024

SB18: David Rord, Senator and Committee Chair Information Only00:03:05.440 - 8:00:46 AM; Senator David Rord, new to the Senate and chairing the committee, opened the hearing on Senate Bill 18. He expressed excitement about starting the day and welcomed everyone present.
SB18: Cindy Rosenwald, State Senator from District 13 Support00:03:22.080 - 8:01:03 AM; Senator Cindy Rosenwald, the prime sponsor of SB18, introduced the bill. She explained that the bill allows the DHHS Commissioner to evaluate and potentially increase the number of beds at Cedar Crest, the only pediatric Intermediate Care Facility in Keene, NH. She emphasized that the bill does not alter the existing moratorium on long-term care bed expansion, which has been in place since 1995 and helps rebalance care towards community-based services. She mentioned that over the past two years, temporary bed additions have been authorized, and the bill would allow the commissioner to assess the needs of New Hampshire children with complex developmental and medical needs, with any recommendations needing approval from the fiscal committee.
SB18: Jay Haston, President and CEO of Cedar Crest Center for Children with Disabilities Support00:11:25.800 - 8:09:06 AM; Dr. Jay Haston, from Cedar Crest, supported the bill, describing Cedar Crest as a facility providing complex care and education for medically and developmentally complex children. He detailed the facility's role in post-acute care, helping children transition from hospital to home, and its provision of respite care. He mentioned that Cedar Crest's demand has increased by 30% over the past three years, and they have had to turn away inquiries due to capacity constraints. Haston stressed the financial prudence of expanding beds at Cedar Crest, as it is less costly than hospital care, and expressed gratitude for the proposed more durable pathway to address the need for additional beds.
SB18: Committee Information Only00:19:15.240 - 8:16:56 AM; The committee moved into an executive session on SB18. A motion to pass the bill was proposed by Senator Avart and seconded by Senator Apprentice. There was no discussion, and the vote was taken by voice, resulting in unanimous consent to pass the bill.
SB37 2024-1453h: Kate Litman, Majority Policy Director for the Senate Information Only00:21:18.640 - 8:18:59 AM; Kate Litman introduced SB37 on behalf of Senator Pearl. She highlighted that the bill, requested by DHHS, makes several amendments to RSA 151. Key points include making quality assurance programs mandatory at licensed residential care facilities, expanding the types of facilities that may be investigated by DHHS, requiring the posting of investigation results, and amending the Patients' Bill of Rights to apply to more types of facilities. She also mentioned a needed committee amendment to change 'hospital' to 'facility' in one section.
SB37 2024-1453h: Kelly Keef, Licensing Unit Chief, and Danielle Warboys, General Counsel and Legislative Liaison, DHHS Support00:25:38.799 - 8:23:19 AM; Kelly Keef and Danielle Warboys from DHHS supported SB37, emphasizing its intent to ensure patient safety and well-being by requiring transparency in health care facilities. They explained that the bill mandates quality assurance committees, requires posting of investigation and life safety survey results, and makes other amendments to improve patient care and reduce adverse events. They confirmed the need for the committee amendment mentioned by Kate Litman.
SB37 2024-1453h: Carolyn Virtue Information Only00:28:41.039 - 8:26:22 AM; Carolyn Virtue initially had concerns about the bill due to a misunderstanding but was reassured after discussions with Senator Pearl and the department that the bill's provisions related only to Residential Care Facilities and not all facilities. She appreciated the clarification and the fixing of her minor editorial comment.
SB37 2024-1453h: Jake Barry, Vice President of Policy, New Futures Support00:31:30.799 - 8:29:11 AM; Jake Barry from New Futures supported SB37, stressing the importance of enhancing public awareness of health care facility oversight and patient protections. He mentioned their work with the committee on other bills and emphasized that posting investigation outcomes would help patients make informed decisions, thereby enhancing public confidence and holding health care providers to higher standards.
SB37 2024-1453h: Susan Buckton, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Support00:33:57.919 - 8:31:38 AM; Susan Buckton, the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, supported the bill, explaining that her office often assists individuals in selecting long-term care facilities. She highlighted the need for transparency in inspections and investigations, noting that current laws do not make all inspection results public. She argued that the bill would correct these issues and enhance public safety and trust.
SB37 2024-1453h: Ben Bradley, Vice President of State Government Relations, New Hampshire Hospital Association Information Only00:38:04.960 - 8:35:45 AM; Ben Bradley from the New Hampshire Hospital Association discussed SB37, noting that it affects hospitals regulated under RSA 151. He expressed interest in working with the department to avoid regulatory redundancies for hospitals that already comply with CMS transparency requirements. He provided an example of a CMS report and appreciated the department's willingness to collaborate.
SB37 2024-1453h: Committee Information Only00:41:12.160 - 8:38:53 AM; The committee moved into an executive session on SB37. A motion to pass the bill with an amendment was proposed and seconded. The amendment was to change 'hospital' to 'facility' on page two, line nine. There was no discussion, and the vote resulted in unanimous consent to pass the bill as amended.
SB17: Dan Innis, Senator from Bradford, NH, representing District 7 Support00:41:29.720 - 8:39:10 AM; Senator Dan Innis introduced SB17, which aims to improve affordability and reduce patient out-of-pocket expenses by ensuring that copay assistance counts towards a patient's deductible. He explained the negative impact of copay accumulator and maximizer programs on patients with chronic conditions and the need for the bill to prevent insurance companies from double-dipping. He mentioned that the bill passed the Senate the previous year with unanimous support.
SB17: Susanna Von Ettingham, Warner, NH, New England Bleeding Disorders Advocacy Coalition Support00:48:13.200 - 8:45:54 AM; Susanna Von Ettingham, from Warner, NH, supported SB17, sharing her personal experience with her son's hemophilia treatment. She discussed the challenges of finding insurance without copay accumulator programs and the potential financial burden without copay assistance. She questioned the insurance department's assertion that premiums would rise due to the bill, citing a lack of supporting data.
SB17: Paula Rogers, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Oppose00:56:33.760 - 8:54:14 AM; Paula Rogers from AHIP opposed SB17 as written but expressed willingness to work on amendments. She highlighted that the bill mandates counting manufacturer coupons towards deductibles and discussed the marketing aspect of such coupons. She suggested that the bill's scope should be limited to prescription drugs and focused on independent charity assistance programs to benefit those most in need.
SB17: Curtis Barry and Sam H, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) Oppose01:20:37.159 - 9:18:18 AM; Curtis Barry and Sam H from PCMA opposed SB17, arguing that it would steer patients towards more expensive drugs and increase premiums. They emphasized that manufacturer coupons are banned in government programs like Medicare and Medicaid due to being considered kickbacks. They provided data suggesting that coupons lead to higher list prices and shared concerns about the bill's impact on the state employees' plan.
SB17: Peter Bragdon, Senior Policy Advisor, Preddy Strategies, representing Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Oppose01:35:37.679 - 9:33:18 AM; Peter Bragdon, representing Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, opposed SB17, arguing that it's a one-size-fits-all approach that could shift patients to more expensive drugs. He explained how coupons can undermine cost containment efforts and potentially lead to higher premiums. He suggested working on amendments to address specific cases where no alternatives exist.
SB17: Sabrina Dunlap, Senior Director of Government Relations, Anthem Oppose01:46:45.480 - 9:44:26 AM; Sabrina Dunlap from Anthem opposed SB17 as written but was open to discussing potential amendments. She highlighted that the bill would interfere with benefit design and noted that Anthem has its own programs to reduce out-of-pocket costs. She questioned the lack of drug manufacturer participation in the discussion and raised concerns about the transparency and consumer protection of copay coupon programs.
SB17: Mike Rollo, Government Relations Director, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Support01:51:38.639 - 9:49:19 AM; Mike Rollo from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network supported SB17, emphasizing its importance for cancer patients who rely on copay assistance for expensive drugs. He argued that the bill would remove barriers to such assistance and protect patients from surprise bills and treatment delays. He refuted claims that the bill would increase premiums, citing independent studies, and criticized the suggestion that patients seek more expensive treatments due to coupons.

Rochefort, David(Chairman)(R)	Avard, Kevin(V Chairman)(R)[C+]2024	Birdsell, Regina(R)[C+]2024
Prentiss, Suzanne(D)[F]2024	Long, Pat(D)