Thursday, June 5, 2008

New Hampshire Law on Insurance

By Merrill Matthews, Jr.

Categories: Insurance Regulation, New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, all small group carriers with at least 1,000 covered lives will be required to offer a new guaranteed issue standardized wellness benefits plan with the enactment of health care reform legislation (SB 540) earlier this month.

The new law grants the state insurance commissioner discretion to formulate benefits, specifying only that they "promote primary care, preventive care and a medical home model."

A committee comprised of businesses, consumers and legislators -- but no insurers -- will advise the commissioner on benefit decisions. Policy premiums must not exceed 10 percent of the previous year's median state wage. The plans will be offered to small employers beginning in October 2009.