New Hampshire Medicaid
House passes neb to extend expansion through 2020, only alongside several restrictions
Although low-income residents inwards New Hampshire did non take access to expanded Medicaid inwards the showtime one-half of 2014, the land did expand coverage mid-year, as well as applications for the newly-expanded Medicaid computer program were available every bit of July 1, 2014, for coverage effective August 15.In the showtime 3 months, 18,000 people – out of a projected 50,000 who were eligible – enrolled. Many of these residents had no wellness insurance prior to the expansion of Medicaid. New Hampshire is utilizing a CMS waiver that allows for a privatized solution to Medicaid expansion, as well as members volition live transitioning to subsidized individual coverage every bit of 2016.
But the time to come of the computer program is even so uncertain, every bit the existing computer program is alone funded through the cease of 2016. Legislation to extend Medicaid expansion beyond 2016 is currently amongst the Senate, afterward beingness passed past times the House inwards March 2016. At that point, at that place were roughly 48,000 people covered past times Medicaid expansion inwards New Hampshire.
Legislation to extend Medicaid expansion
In March 2016, lawmakers inwards the New Hampshire House of Representatives passed HB1696, which would proceed Medicaid expansion through the cease of 2020, but amongst to a greater extent than restrictions than the computer program currently has. Assuming the Senate passes HB1696, a waiver from CMS would live required inwards social club to implement the novel requirements (which are by as well as large to a greater extent than strict than CMS has allowed inwards other states). They include:
A operate requirement. Able-bodied, childless adults must pfrostyipate inwards at to the lowest degree xxx hours per calendar week of work, chore training, didactics towards obtaining a job, or other related activities. Work requirements take so far been a non-starter for CMS; the means has yet to ratify a Medicaid expansion waiver amongst a operate requirement. An amendment was eventually added to HB1696 – afterward much fence – that allows expansion to proceed fifty-fifty if CMS won’t ratify the operate requirement.
A bonus requirement of $25/month (up to 2 percentage of house income) for able-bodied adults amongst income betwixt 101 percentage as well as 138 percentage of the poverty level, as well as $10/month for those amongst income upwards to 100 percentage of the poverty level. There would live a lx 24-hour interval grace menstruation for non-payment of premiums, afterward which coverage would live terminated as well as the someone wouldn’t live eligible to re-enroll for 6 months.
Copays for non-emergency role of emergency room.
New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion already utilizes a CMS waiver, every bit the land uses Medicaid funds to buy individual coverage inwards the central for Medicaid-eligible residents. The changes called for inwards HB1696 would need an additional waiver.
2017 is when states take to start paying a pocket-size component of the toll of Medicaid expansion (through the cease of 2016, it’s fully funded past times the federal government). HB1696 asks wellness insurance companies as well as hospitals inwards the land to pay fees that would comprehend the state’s component of the toll of Medicaid expansion. But it’s of import to recollect that the federal regime volition ever pay at to the lowest degree ninety percentage of the toll of roofing the Medicaid expansion population. If New Hampshire doesn’t reauthorize Medicaid expansion past times the cease of 2016, the land volition young woman out on hundreds of millions of dollars inwards federal funding.
In improver to HB1696, some other pecker – HB1690 – was every bit well considered inwards the 2016 legislative session. It was introduced past times Democrats (as opposed to Republicans for HB1696) as well as called for extending Medicaid expansion inwards New Hampshire indefinitely, amongst none of the restrictions that are inwards HB1696. But patch the House passed HB1696, they killed HB1690. At this point, it appears that if Medicaid expansion is to proceed inwards New Hampshire, it volition live amongst at to the lowest degree some modifications as well as restrictions.
New Hampshire – a unique expansion of Medicaid
When the ACA was written, 1 of the primal cornerstones of the police was the expansion of Medicaid to comprehend everyone amongst house incomes upwards to 138 percentage of poverty inwards every state.
But inwards 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that regular federal Medicaid funding could non live withheld from states if they opted non to expand their Medicaid programs. There are even so xix states that take taken no activity towards expanding Medicaid, but unique approaches to expansion are gaining traction amongst the states that didn’t expand according to the provisions circle out inwards the ACA.
New Hampshire is 1 of the states that expanded Medicaid inwards their ain way, obtaining a waiver from CMS that allows the New Hampshire Health Protection Program to live slightly unlike from straight Medicaid expansion every bit called for inwards the ACA.
Expanded coverage effective August 15, 2014
For the showtime one-half of 2014, New Hampshire residents were alone able to enroll inwards Medicaid if they were eligible based on the pre-expansion guidelines. But every bit of July 2014, the novel guidelines became effective, as well as eligible residents were able to start enrolling inwards expanded Medicaid amongst coverage effective August 15.
Medicaid inwards New Hampshire is at present available for all adults amongst house incomes upwards to 138 percentage of poverty. Children are eligible for CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) amongst house incomes upwards to 323 percentage of poverty (the CHIP guidelines are the same every bit they were pre-expansion). Pregnant women are eligible for Medicaid amongst house incomes upwards to 196 percentage of poverty.
How make I apply for Medicaid inwards NH?
You tin give the sack apply through HealthCare.gov or straight through the New Hampshire Department of Health as well as Human Services at https://nheasy.nh.gov/
You tin give the sack download a newspaper application. (The land website every bit well has versions available inwards Castilian as well as Nepali.) Complete it, as well as either fax it to (603) 271-8604 or postal service it to the zone role that serves your area.
You tin give the sack every bit well phone outcry upwards 1-800-852-3345, extension 9700 as well as apply for Medicaid past times phone.
NH Medicaid enrollment numbers
From Oct 1, 2013 until mid-April 2014, 7,235 central applicants inwards New Hampshire enrolled inwards the state’s pre-expansion Medicaid program. And from the autumn of 2013 to June 2014, full Medicaid enrollment inwards New Hampshire increased past times 10,081 people. These individuals were already eligible for Medicaid based on the previous guidelines, but didn’t enroll until 2014.
Based on the expanded eligibility criteria, New Hampshire officials estimated that virtually 50,000 people would live newly eligible for Medicaid coverage. From the autumn of 2013 to Dec 2015, full enrollment inwards Medicaid/CHIP inwards New Hampshire increased past times 58,876 people – a 46 percentage increase. Not all of the novel enrollees were newly eligible, but there’s no doubtfulness that Medicaid expansion has significantly increased the Medicaid-covered population inwards the state.
And that inwards plough has had a pregnant bear upon on the uninsured rate. In 2013, 13.8 percentage of the population was uninsured. That had fallen to 8.7 percentage past times the showtime one-half of 2015 – a 37 percentage decrease.
27th land to expand Medicaid coverage
Medicaid expansion inwards New Hampshire was quite contentious, but Governor Maggie Hassan eventually succeeded inwards her efforts to expand Medicaid to people amongst incomes upwards to 138 percentage of poverty. The land is using a privatized approach to expansion however.
On March 27, 2014, Gov Hassan signed Senate Bill 413 into law, circleting New Hampshire on rail to get the 27th land (including DC) to expand Medicaid.
How New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion differs
Until 2016, the computer program worked much the same every bit Medicaid expansion inwards the states that take followed the expansion guidelines inwards the ACA. The land used federal Medicaid funds to supply New Hampshire Health Protection Program coverage for legally-present residents amongst incomes below 138 percentage of poverty.
During this fourth dimension however, the state’s Bridge Program gave eligible beneficiaries the pick of enrolling inwards a individual design through the central as well as having the toll subsidized amongst Medicaid funding.
But starting inwards 2016, New Hampshire moved all Medicaid expansion enrollees to individual coverage obtained through the exchange, utilizing Medicaid funding to subsidize the toll of the plans. This approach was a bipartisan compromise betwixt those who wanted to just expand the existing Medicaid computer program as well as those who preferred an approach that would supply individual coverage for the state’s low-income residents.
New Hampshire’s Medicaid waiver to switch to a privatized organisation was approved past times CMS inwards March 2015.
Residents who are eligible for the New Hampshire Health Protection Program as well as every bit well take access to employer-sponsored wellness insurance are required to enroll inwards the employer-sponsored design if it is deemed toll effective. But nether the state’s Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) program, the fellow member tin give the sack have aid inwards paying premiums as well as cost-sharing for the employer-sponsored plan, using Medicaid funds. The land makes the conclusion of whether it’s to a greater extent than toll effective to comprehend the fellow member nether Medicaid, or to opt for the employer-sponsored design amongst financial aid through the HIPP program.
Expansion even so needs funding beyond 2016
Although lawmakers agreed to expand Medicaid, they included a sun circle provision that would terminate Medicaid expansion inwards the land every bit of the cease of 2016 unless the legislature specifically approves funding beyond that point.
Governor Hassan included proposed funding for continued Medicaid expansion inwards her financial yr 2016-2017 budget, but inwards March 2015, New Hampshire lawmakers voted to withdraw extended Medicaid expansion funding from the budget. As of March 2016, a four-year extension of Medicaid expansion is even so pending blessing past times the Senate, as well as a waiver blessing from CMS.
