New Hampshire House lawmakers on Thursday balked at requiring insurers to cover wraparound mental health services. The vote to send the bill to interim study was a blow to Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who has been a vocal supporter of the legislation and blasted insurance companies for their opposition.

Wraparound services seek to connect disparate and complicated care systems, such as mental healthcare, child protective services, and special education to work together seamlessly for people in a mental health crisis. Senate Bill 498 would’ve required insurance companies to cover FAST Forward, a state-run program that offers wraparound care for New Hampshire children. It also would’ve created a board tasked with assessing fees on companies in order to fund the care. The bill was approved by the Senate in March, and Ayotte has been pressuring House lawmakers to send it to her desk. However, lawmakers bucked that pressure Thursday and voted, 188-164, to send the bill to interim study, a move that sidelines the effort for at least another year.

Originally published on newhampshirebulletin.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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