As we celebrate a successful legislative session for health policy in New Hampshire, we want to express gratitude to all the You’re the Cure advocates who helped to make a difference. Thank you for making your voice heard in support of important issues. Together, we have made strides in improving the health environment in our communities.
We were able to achieve three successful priority advocacy campaigns:
- Every public school under construction or substantial renovation will now install water bottle filling stations in place of ½ of all drinking fountains – to ensure children have access to clean, safe drinking water while in school. This will help keep kids hydrated while encouraging students to drink more water and less sugary drinks. This will help our kids grow up at a healthy weight.
- We protected municipalities’ power to enact strong public health policies for the health, safety, and well-being of their residents and visitors. NH has a long history of local control to develop solutions to issues that are best determined by residents working along with their elected officials to build healthy, equitable communities.
- Together with partners, we protected granite staters from an expansion of low-quality, inequitable health insurance plans. Currently, NH permits short-term, limited-duration health plans that are 3 months in duration with one renewal, for people who have a short-term disruption in coverage. Removing the limitation on renewals would have increased the likelihood of adverse selection in NH’s insurance market and exposed those with pre-existing conditions to financial risk from excessive charges or denial of coverage.
We also engaged in advocacy efforts on several other issues that have elevated the critical need for these health policies among NH lawmakers. We will continue to work to advance these issues in the next legislative session:
- Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months following pregnancy.
- NH Medicaid coverage of comprehensive tobacco cessation services for all tobacco users.
- State recognition of stroke center-certified hospitals in NH.
Thank you again for adding your voice to help NH communities be heart healthy and stroke-free.
To learn more and to get involved, email Nancy.Vaughn@heart.org or visit YoureTheCure.org.