SB540 Passes New Hampshire Senate

March 25, 2008

Requires a Standard Wellness Plan for Small Business

On March 20th, the New Hampshire Senate passed SB540 by a 21-3 margin. This plan, also known as NH HealthFirst, is intended to be an affordable wellness-based health insurance plan for employers. The insurance commissioner will be responsible for ensuring that this plan creates incentives for consumers, health care providers, employers and/or health carriers to promote wellness and preventive care, and that it will manage and coordinate care for individuals with chronic health conditions or acute illnesses along with other requirements. The standard wellness plan will be issued on a guaranteed basis to all small employers in the state and shall include cost sharing requirements, provider payment initiatives to promote the delivery of quality care and an out of pocket maximum. Health insurance carriers will be expected to set the health coverage rate at or below 10% of the median statewide wage of the prior year as reported by the United States Department of Labor. To read SB540 in its entirety, click here. To be directed to the Governor's press release click here.

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