New HampshireHealth insurers must set up chronic pain care programs in 2027
Starting January 1, 2027, New Hampshire health insurers must develop approved programs that give people with chronic pain access to covered care and explain how to use them.
What it does
Starting January 1, 2027, insurers must develop state-approved programs offering access to covered chronic pain treatments. They must tell covered people with chronic pain how to find that care.
Starting January 1, 2027, covered people can access the chronic pain program without getting an insurer's advance approval. Some individual non-opioid medicines may still need approval.
Insurers may require advance approval or a trial of another drug for certain federally approved non-opioid pain medicines. Starting January 1, 2027, those rules cannot be stricter than the least strict rules for a suitable opioid medicine.
Argument forPeople with chronic pain could find covered treatment more easily because insurers must offer approved programs and explain how to use them.
Argument againstSome people could face extra steps before receiving non-opioid pain medicine because insurers may require advance approval or a trial of another drug.
More detail
Health insurers must develop chronic pain care programs and explain them to covered people with chronic pain. The programs cover chronic pain care, including covered non-drug treatments and non-opioid medicines. Each program must follow insurance department guidelines, and the department must approve its plan. Insurers must post program information on their websites and send yearly materials to care providers in their networks. These requirements begin January 1, 2027.
Health insurers must allow access to the chronic pain program without advance approval. This rule applies to covered people accessing the chronic pain program. Insurers may still use allowed approval rules for individual non-opioid pain medicines. The rule for program access begins January 1, 2027.
Health insurers may set limited access rules for certain non-opioid pain medicines. This applies to non-opioid medicines approved by the federal drug agency and medically suitable for treating or managing pain. Rules may include advance approval or trying another drug first. They cannot be stricter than the least strict rules for a medically suitable opioid pain medicine. The limit on these rules begins January 1, 2027.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jul 16Signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte Ayotte 07/10/2026; Chapter 282; eff. I. Sec 2+3 eff as prov sec 4 II. Rem eff 1/1/2027Became Law
- Jul 1Enrolled (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15 P. 56To Governor
- Jun 29Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/04/2026); SJ 15Minor
- Jun 17Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2164e: AA VV (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15 P. 45
- Jun 17Enrolled Bill Amendment # 2026-2164e Adopted, VV, (In recess of 06/04/2026); SJ 14Major
- May 21House Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1622s (Rep. Hunt): MA VV 05/21/2026 HJ 14 P. 2
- May 7Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1622s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/07/2026; SJ 11Passed Senate
- May 7Committee Amendment # 2026-1622s, AA, VV; 05/07/2026; SJ 11
- Apr 22Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1622s, 05/07/2026; Vote 4-0; CC; SC 17Minor
- Apr 1Hearing: 04/08/2026, Room 100, SH, 09:30 am; SC 13
- Mar 30Introduced 03/26/2026 and Referred to Health and Human Services; SJ 7Minor
- Mar 26Ought to Pass: MA VV 03/26/2026 HJ 9 P. 2Passed House
- Mar 19Committee Report: Ought to Pass 03/17/2026 (Vote 25-0; CC)Minor
- Mar 13Executive Session: 03/17/2026 10:00 am GP 230
- Feb 13Division I Work Session: 02/20/2026 11:00 am GP 230
- Jan 21Division I Work Session: 02/09/2026 10:00 am GP 234
- Jan 7Referred to Finance 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 44Minor
- Jan 7Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-2990h: MA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 43
- Jan 7Amendment # 2025-2990h: AA VV 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 43
- 2025
- Nov 10Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2990h (NT) 10/28/2025 (Vote 17-0; CC) HC 51 P. 3Minor
- Oct 8Executive Session: 10/28/2025 11:00 am GP 229
- Sep 22Full Committee Work Session: 10/08/2025 10:00 am GP 229
- Aug 27Full Committee Work Session: 09/10/2025 10:00 am GP 229
- Mar 5Retained in Committee
- Feb 20Subcommittee Work Session: 03/04/2025 10:00 am LOB 104
- Feb 13Executive Session: 03/05/2025 10:00 am LOB 302-304
- Jan 15Public Hearing: 01/23/2025 01:45 pm LOB 302-304
- Jan 9Vacated and Referred to Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Rep. W. MacDonald): MA VV (in recess of) 01/09/2025 HJ 3 P. 7Minor
- Jan 7Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs HJ 2 P. 12Introduced
HealthcareConsumer Protection