The New Hampshire Senate has passed a bill to expand health insurance coverage for low-income residents through private plans, according to a report from The New York Times.
The legislation would extend coverage to approximately 50,000 people using federal Medicaid expansion funding available through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the report. Its passage would make New Hampshire one of several states (such as Arkansas) that are moving forward with private-insurance-based alternatives to regular Medicaid expansion.
Under the bill, adults younger than 65 earning as much as 138 percent of the federal poverty level (roughly $15,900 for a single person) would qualify for coverage. About 12,000 would be covered through subsidized employer-based insurance. Approximately 38,000 more would be covered by the state's existing Medicaid managed care program in July and transition to private plans in 2016, according to the report. The plan would require federal approval to move forward.
The bill now moves to the House, which has already approved a similar measure. Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, has expressed support for the legislation, according to the report.
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