New Hampshire lawmakers voted to delay action on a bill to expand insurance coverage of children’s mental health services, rejecting a plea from Gov. Kelly Ayotte to send the legislation to the House floor. The House Commerce Committee voted Wednesday to retain the bill for further study rather than advancing it.
Gov. Ayotte had called on the committee to move the bill forward, stating afterwards that “I think this was really wrong. Anthem and other insurance companies should be covering the support and treatment for children with mental health issues.” The measure, Senate Bill 498, has been worked on for years, and some state representatives argued that delays are unjustified given the time already invested in the legislation.
Rep. Julie Miles, R-Merrimack, said “We do need to hold the plans responsible, and they’ve been full of empty promises. This is our committee’s opportunity, as the Consumer Protection Committee, to do the good work for the patients of New Hampshire.” Rep. John Hunt, R-Rindge, expressed caution about the amendment, stating “Since this amendment is just out of the blue, my natural tendency would be that let’s hold on to this and let’s see if we really need to do it.”
Anthem Insurance released a statement saying it was “disappointed in Governor Ayotte’s comments” and emphasized that it has “met with the state on multiple occasions to work toward resolution.” Anthem stated it remains committed to ensuring children have “access to high-quality, coordinated behavioral health care—including wraparound services when clinically appropriate.” However, Anthem raised concerns about SB 498, saying “it would create a nonprofit board to assess new fees on commercially insured customers.”
Advocates warned about the impact of further delays. Samantha Morrell, a supporter of the bill, said “Waiting until September is really only going to cause more grieving.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wmur.com/article/childrens-mental-health-coverage-bill-delay-050626/71233348