New Hampshire Health Insurance

Heath Care Reform

Young adults in New Hampshire can now stay under their parent’s policy. The new health law mandates New Hampshire health insurance companies to allow parents to keep their children in their policy until age 8,330  young adults in New Hampshire have benefited from this plan (as of June 2011). Because of the new law, Medicare members no longer need to worry about their extra prescription cost. Once they reach the donut hole in 2010, they are sent a check for a $250 rebate. 14,156 seniors in New Hampshire have received the rebate to offset the cost of their prescription drugs. A 50 percent discount was also given for brand name drugs once they’ve hit the donut hole. This resulted to an average savings of $8,187,145 for New Hampshire Medicare members. The Affordable Care Act aims to close the donut hole by 2020. One of the provisions of the health care reform is to provide preventive care services free of charge for Medicare members and free from cost-sharing for those enrolled under private plans. In 2011, 163,746  Medicare members and 279,000 private plan members in New Hampshire have received free preventive care services like colonoscopies and mammograms. The new health law protects consumers’ money through the medical loss ratio which mandates New Hamphire health insurance providers to spend 80 percent of their premium dollars on medical care and only 20 percent on administrative costs. 405,000 New Hampshire residents are now able to maximize their New Hamphire health insurance quotes. The new health law requires New Hampshire health insurance companies who want to raise their rates by at least 10 percent to make public the details as to why there is a need for rate increase. A $1 million fund was given to New Hampshire to defend and implement this provision. Insurers are no longer allowed to impose a lifetime limit on their members’ benefits. 545,000 New Hampshire residents are now free from having lifetime limits on their coverage. Patients with chronic diseases don’t have to worry about maximizing their limit because of their accumulating medical costs. Through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, New Hampshire residents who have pre-existing condition can now have affordable coverage. As of 2011, 306 residents now have a New Hampshire health insurance. Without this provision, they would still remain uninsured. New Hampshire has received a $4.5 million  grant to develop more health programs and policies. They have also received $5 million to create more health centers and to improve existing centers and the quality of health care delivered. A Health insurance marketplace is being established so more residents can easily have access to more New Hampshie health insurance quotes. Insurance companies will not be able to exclude children from coverage because of a pre-existing condition, giving parents across New Hampshire peace of mind. Insurance plans’ use of annual limits will be tightly regulated to ensure access to needed care. This will protect the 846,000 residents of New Hampshire with health insurance from their employer, along with anyone who signs up with a new insurance plan in New Hampshire. Patients’ choice of doctors will be protected by allowing plan members in new plans to pick any participating primary care provider, prohibiting insurers from requiring prior authorization before a woman sees an ob-gyn, and ensuring access to emergency care. Extending coverage to young adults. Beginning on or after September 23, 2010, plans and issuers that offer coverage to children on their parents’ policy must allow children to remain on their parents’ policy until they turn 26, unless the adult child has another offer of job-based coverage in some cases. This provision will bring relief to roughly 3,480 individuals in New Hampshire who could now have quality affordable coverage through their parents.4 Some employers and the vast majority of insurers have agreed to cover adult children immediately. Strengthening community health centers. Beginning October 1, 2010, increased funding for Community Health Centers will help nearly double the number of patients seen by the centers over the next five years. The funding could not only help the 57 Community Health Centers in New Hampshire but also support the construction of new centers. More doctors where people need them. Beginning October 1, 2010, the Act will provide funding for the National Health Service Corps ($1.5 billion over five years) for scholarships and loan repayments for doctors, nurses and other health care providers who work in areas with a shortage of health professionals. This will help the 5% of New Hampshire’s population who live in an underserved area. New Medicaid options for states. For the first time, New Hampshire has the option of Federal Medicaid funding for coverage for all low-income populations, irrespective of age, disability, or family status. ”