Public testimony urges House Finance to reject proposed Medicaid cuts and premiums

Hundreds of Granite Staters told the New Hampshire House Finance Committee on Monday that proposed cuts and new premiums in the governor's budget would damage the safety net and raise long-term costs.

Speakers from home‑care providers, mental‑health agencies, family caregivers and people with disabilities described how Medicaid funds support in‑home nursing, community mental‑health centers and programs that keep people out of hospitals and nursing homes.

The testimony drew a throughline from small home‑care agencies to large community health centers. "I'm here today to strongly oppose the proposed 3% Medicaid budget cut," said Evans Doe, director of operations for Team Select, a private home‑care agency. "Cutting Medicaid's budget by 3% won't save money. It will increase hospital admissions and drive costs even much higher." Doe said recent investments allowed his agency to recruit caregivers and deliver thousands of additional weekly care hours that in one year kept dozens of patients out of hospitals.

Multiple home‑care and nursing‑service providers warned that reduced Medicaid reimbursement and any new premiums would worsen worker shortages and force people into higher‑cost care. Jake Regan, operations manager for Maxim Healthcare Services in Bedford, told the committee that regular cost‑of‑living adjustments are needed to retain private‑duty nurses who provide ventilator and trach care in people's homes.

Mental‑health advocates said the proposed cost sharing in the Granite Advantage expansion would prompt disenrollments and interruptions in treatment. "The proposed changes to the Medicaid program that include instituting premiums on certain beneficiaries and increasing co‑payments for medications would be detrimental," said Holly Stevens of NAMI New Hampshire, who cited emergency‑room boarding and gaps in community care as existing problems that cuts would exacerbate.

Speakers repeatedly stressed that community‑based care is a net saver to the state. Providers and advocates cited examples of avoided hospital admissions and of individuals who could remain safely at home when services and caregiver supports were funded. Meals on Wheels and other programs said modest reimbursement increases would stabilize their ability to deliver meals and safety checks to homebound seniors.

Committee members heard firsthand accounts from family caregivers who said they would be forced to reduce work hours or stop working if supports are cut. "My son needs round‑the‑clock supports to be safe," said one parent; without them, the family said, they would be compelled to provide full‑time care or pursue institutional placements.

Advocates asked the committee to reject proposed premiums and to preserve planned Medicaid rate increases and inflation adjustments for community providers. They urged prioritizing home‑and community‑based services that, they said, reduce more expensive care episodes later in the system.

The committee did not hold any votes during the public‑comment period. The panel's budget deliberations continue; committee members said they will weigh testimony as they consider amendments and final appropriations in the coming weeks.