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Committee advances amendment to let adults access activity‑specific prosthetics; fiscal note to be clarified
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Summary
A Commerce subcommittee advanced an amendment to extend coverage of activity‑specific prosthetics to adults and asked the Insurance Department for a fuller fiscal note. The department estimated an average marginal cost of about $27,000 per device and projected 10–30% uptake of eligible adults over five years.
Michelle He, director of life and health at the New Hampshire Insurance Department, told the House Commerce subcommittee the amendment expands an existing mandate that covered children to also allow adults access to 'activity‑specific' prosthetic devices, which are intended to enable a particular activity such as running rather than basic mobility.
The department said the current draft clarifies that the limit is one type of activity‑specific device during a five‑year period and that plan terms and cost‑sharing rules apply; carriers may apply utilization management to contain costs. Health economist Jason Aziz said the department’s unabridged fiscal analysis shows an average marginal cost of about $27,000 per device and estimated a 10–30% uptake among eligible adults over five years, which the department intends to restate as a per‑member‑per‑month (PMPM) figure for clearer comparison across plans.
Committee members pressed for the department’s full fiscal note and asked that the figures be restated to reflect the five‑year horizon so the committee can assess premium impact for small employers and state plans. The department agreed to circulate the unabridged fiscal note and to produce PMPM numbers and a revised fiscal note if the amendment is changed again.
Representative Spears made a motion to recommend passage of the amendment 'ought to pass' with the amendment attached; the subcommittee moved the amendment forward (OTP) and recorded the recommendation to send the bill to the next committee with the revised fiscal note to follow.
The subcommittee chair said the committee will vote on the underlying bill at its next session after members have time to review the clarified fiscal note.
