State Extends Substance Abuse Treatment to Thousands

Governor Maggie Hassan signed the New Hampshire health protection bill into law, extending health care coverage to an estimated 50,000 low income citizens. It is estimated that 7,000 of them will access available substance use treatment.

"By expanding access to health insurance, we will help reduce uncompensated care and cost-shifting on New Hampshire businesses, encourage cost-saving primary and preventive care, and provide substance abuse and mental health treatment to thousands while injecting $2.5 billion in federal funds into our state's economy," Hassan said.

The Granite State will accept federal Medicaid funds to buy private health coverage for adults making less than 138-percent of the federal poverty limit ($15,856 annually for a single adult).

"New Hampshire is experiencing a substance abuse epidemic," Linda Saunders Paquette, executive director of New Futures in Concord, said. "Approximately 113,000 New Hampshire citizens have a diagnosable substance use disorder. At the same time, New Hampshire ranks second to last in the country when it comes to someone in need of treatment being able to access it. The passage of this bill goes a long way in increasing access to treatment for those in need. New Futures appreciates this bipartisan approach to providing health care for thousands of low income New Hampshire citizens."
 
New Futures is a nonprofit that advocates, educates and collaborates to reduce alcohol and other drug problems in NH.