Healthcare

HB 349 authorizes licensed optometrists who meet specific board-certification criteria to perform three eye laser procedures: laser capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, and laser peripheral iridotomy. It directly affects optometrists seeking to expand their scope of practice, requiring them to complete approved education, training, and experience before performing these procedures. The bill mandates the Board of Registration in Optometry to establish rules for certification, including minimum training standards, proctoring requirements, and outcome reporting for these procedures. The law takes effect 60 days after passage, with no new state funding provided.

HCR 12 is a New Hampshire legislative resolution urging the state's federal congressional delegation to support Medicare for All. It requests federal lawmakers pursue legislation establishing universal health coverage through Medicare, including comprehensive benefits like dental, vision, and prescription drugs without deductibles, and transitioning current Medicaid recipients into the program. The resolution outlines six key provisions for such a system, emphasizing preventive care, provider choice, cost controls, and quality oversight. As a non-binding resolution, it does not change federal law but expresses the legislature's position on health care policy.

HB 1760 repeals a requirement that the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services seek a waiver to impose pharmacy copayments and premiums on Medicaid beneficiaries, including those in the New Hampshire Advantage Health Care Program and the Children's Health Insurance Program. It removes specific law sections (2025, 141:65; RSA 126-AA:2-a; and RSA 126-A:3, IX) that would have mandated these cost-sharing measures. The bill appropriates funds to the Department of Health and Human Services to cover the resulting revenue shortfall for the 2026-2027 biennium. This change directly eliminates new costs for Medicaid participants while maintaining program funding stability.