Expanded Medicaid makes New Hampshire a healthier state

A few weeks ago, the N.H. Senate voted 17-7 in support of SB 313, which reauthorizes New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion program. Now, the bill has moved to the N.H. House, where our representatives will decide whether it will continue. The hearings in the N.H. Senate and House were teeming with advocates including patients, health-care providers, business leaders, clerics and many more who — one after the other — stood up before a large room to tell their first-hand experiences of how this program changes lives in a positive way.

In 2014, New Hampshire expanded eligibility for Medicaid to include a larger portion of the state’s population; more than 130,000 Granite Staters have accessed health coverage as a result. This expansion, however, is set to expire at the end of 2018 if not reauthorized. Senate Bill 313 is one of the most important pieces of legislation in the 2018 session because it impacts the health of our friends, neighbors and economy. A Granite State poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center and published a few weeks ago shows that 59 percent of Granite Staters support Medicaid expansion reauthorization, and nearly half of Granite Staters say they would be less likely to vote for their state senator if he or she voted against it.