Statement from Governor Hassan on Open Enrollment

Statement

Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement on the beginning of open enrollment on New Hampshire's federally facilitated health insurance marketplace and through the bipartisan New Hampshire Health Protection Program:

"As open enrollment begins for 2016 health insurance coverage, the rate of uninsured citizens in New Hampshire is lower than the national average and significantly lower than in 2013, with nearly 100,000 hard-working Granite Staters accessing coverage through either our federally facilitated health insurance marketplace or our bipartisan health care expansion program this year. Healthy families and a healthy workforce are critical to vibrant communities and a thriving economy, and access to affordable, quality health insurance is strengthening the health and financial well-being of our citizens.

"While we have also increased competition in our health insurance marketplace -- which improves affordability and increases choices for all New Hampshire citizens -- we know that there is more work to do. As part of the expansion population begins to transition to private plans offered on the federally facilitated marketplace through the Premium Assistance Program, competition should continue to increase, and we must reauthorize this bipartisan plan as quickly as possible to provide certainty for our people, businesses, health care providers and insurers.

"Not only is our bipartisan health care expansion plan strengthening the health of our citizens and boosting our economy, it has also helped thousands of Granite Staters access substance abuse and mental health services. As we continue to combat the heroin and substance abuse crisis, reauthorization of expansion is the single most effective step we can take to increase treatment capacity in New Hampshire. I continue to urge the legislature to move forward with reauthorizing this critical program as quickly as possible to continue brining in millions of dollars in federal funds that are helping to improve the health of our citizens, strengthen our economy and combat the heroin and substance abuse crisis facing our state."

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