SB 123-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0948
05/09
SENATE BILL 123-FN
SPONSORS: Sen. Sullivan, Dist 18; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Rep. McLean, Hills. 15; Rep. Proulx, Hills. 15
COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires coverage of ear acupuncture as a treatment for substance misuse under the state Medicaid plan.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0948
05/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; State Medicaid Plan; Substance Misuse Treatment; Ear Acupuncture. Amend RSA 167 by inserting after section 3-m the following new section:
167:3-n State Medicaid Plan; Substance Misuse Treatment; Ear Acupuncture Included. Medical assistance under the state Medicaid plan shall include ear acupuncture as a treatment for substance misuse. The initial treatment may be administered during detox and throughout treatment for opioid addiction and other types of substance misuse. The department of health and human services shall submit any amendment to the state Medicaid plan necessary for implementation to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no later than January 1, 2026.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
25-0948
Revised 2/12/25
SB 123-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $1 million - $5 million in state funds; indeterminable federal funds | $1 million - $5 million in state funds; indeterminable federal funds | $1 million - $5 million in state funds; indeterminable federal funds | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund, Federal Funds, Other Funds | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the state Medicaid program to cover ear acupuncture as a treatment for substance abuse. The Department of Health and Human Services states that according to FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit that collects data for and manages the nation’s largest database of privately billed health insurance claims, the average cost of a 45-minute acupuncture visit is approximately $116. Since Medicaid rates are typically less than commercial rates, the Department assumes it would pay no more than 80 percent of this, or $93 per visit. The Department further notes that Massachusetts’ approved state plan amendment indicates that each Medicaid member is entitled to 20 visits per member, per calendar year. Finally, the Department notes that in 2023, NH had 9,635 Medicaid recipients with a diagnosis of substance use disorder. Assuming half of those (or 4,817) availed themselves of the benefit, and assuming $93 each for 20 covered visits, the bill would result in $8,959,620 in total expenditures per year. The Department notes that this utilization projection is purely speculative. Services provided through the traditional Medicaid program would be paid for with 50 percent federal funds and 50 percent state general funds. Services provided through the Granite Advantage Health Care Program would be paid for with 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state funds from a variety of sources. The Department assumes the overall impact on state funds will be between $1 million and $5 million per year.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 29, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| March 6, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
March 20, 2025: Rereferred to Committee, MA, VV; 03/20/2025; SJ 8
March 12, 2025: Committee Report: Rereferred to Committee, 03/20/2025, Vote 6-0, CC SC 13
March 6, 2025: Ought to Pass: MA, VV; Refer to Finance Rule 4-5; 03/06/2025; SJ 6
Feb. 25, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/06/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 11
Jan. 23, 2025: Hearing: 01/29/2025, Room 101, LOB, 09:00 am; SC 7
Jan. 22, 2025: Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Health and Human Services; SJ 3