The New Hampshire House rejected Senate Bill 498, a bill that would create new funding for intensive behavioral health services for children covered by private insurance, but the measure’s fate remains uncertain after the Senate tacked it on as an amendment to unrelated legislation Thursday night.
The bill sought to shift more of the financial burden for youth intensive treatment onto insurers rather than the state Medicaid program. It initially passed the Senate in late March on a voice vote but faced House opposition, with some Republican lawmakers characterizing it as a tax. Rep. John Hunt, chair of the House Commerce Committee, said he supported expanded services for children but criticized the bill’s unknown price tag and ill-defined oversight mechanisms. He pledged to have a new proposal ready by the end of August.
Under the current system, children covered by private insurance cannot directly enroll in FAST Forward, an intensive behavioral health program providing services that can last as long as 18 months. The bill would have added an assessment on private health insurers to help fund these services, which otherwise fall on the state.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte aggressively pushed for passage, issuing press releases and personally calling lawmakers. “Improving mental health is my priority,” she said. On Thursday, as lawmakers arrived at Representatives Hall, the governor posed outside her office with advocates wearing lime green t-shirts and holding signs reading “NH’s kids can’t wait.” Following a second procedural vote in which a coalition of Republicans and Democrats defeated the bill 183-to-162, Ayotte issued a statement: “It’s disappointing to see elected representatives choose subsidizing insurance companies over kids’ mental health care.”
Anthem, the state’s largest health insurer, responded that over the past year it has paid in excess of $30 million in claims for behavioral health care for children under 19 years old. With the Senate’s move to add the bill as an amendment, the two chambers could continue negotiations by the end of the session next month.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2026-05-15/mental-health-bill-gets-late-night-save-nh-senate-after-house-rejects-it