Hi All:

The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs will be holding the public hearing for SB353 next Tuesday, April 23rd, at 2:15pm in LOB 302-304. Please sign-in on or before April 23rd to express your position on this bill. It only takes a minute and instructions are provided below.

Background

SB353 has passed the Senate and is now in the House.

SB353 updates definitions in RSA 417-E:1 to align with the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and expands insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) to include people with Down syndrome.

While ABA may also be of benefit to many others and we want all people to get services appropriate to their needs, this bill is a step to help us get broader insurance coverage for ABA. It is also backed by research from the National Institute of Health that specifically focuses on addressing challenging behavior in children with Down syndrome.

Talking Points

The duty of the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee includes all matters pertaining to insurance companies, the economic conditions of commerce and industry, and all matters relating to the economic development of the state.

Given their duty, the committee may be looking less at the human benefits of ABA and more at the economic impact of what it would mean to expand insurance coverage.

In other words, our community did a fantastic job demonstrating the human benefits of ABA to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee: they voted unanimously that SB353 Ought To Pass. Now we need to include some emphasis on the fiscal aspect.

As you prepare testimony for this hearing, you might consider adding views from a monetary standpoint. Here's just a few questions you might ask yourself:

• What might the overall cost of this be? For example, an August 2023 document by BerryDunn for a very similar bill going through Massachusetts right now appears to indicate very low "average annual increase, over five years, to the typical member’s health insurance premium, of between $0.006 to $0.015 per member per month (PMPM) or between 0.0010% to 0.0025% of premium."
• Will ABA will increase an individual's independence and thus reduce/eliminate care requirements over their lifetime? What examples can you provide?
• For individuals in school, will a reduction in maladaptive behaviors allow them to be in a more inclusive classroom setting, resulting a reduction the in the supports needed in school?
• Would a reduction in maladaptive behaviors reduce the risk of injury, thus reducing other medical costs? What examples can you provide?
• Will improved behaviors enable the individual to get a job?
• Will an individual's increased independence allow you to work?

Template for Testimony

It is likely few or none of the committee members will be familiar with ABA and they may also have limited exposure to people with Down syndrome. Our duty is to be factual, civil, respectful, and help them better understand the impact of this bill so they can make an informed decision.

The following is an example template to indicate support for the bill. You are welcome to write your own testimony from scratch to indicate your position. If you use the template, replace the words in italics with your information.

Date

Dear Chairman Hunt and Members of the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee,

My name is Your Name and I live in Town, NH. I am asking you to SUPPORT SB353 to broaden insurance coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) to include people with Down syndrome.

I want to tell you a bit about (myself/my family member). (Share a brief paragraph about yourself or family member. Consider rolling in any of the talking points above that impact you personally. Provide specific examples - the more specific and less general you are, the more impact your testimony will have. If you are creating the testimony using Microsoft Word or other word processing software, consider including a photograph of your family member.)

Thank you, Chairman Hunt and Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, for considering my testimony. I urge you to SUPPORT SB353 to help (me/my family member) obtain insurance coverage for ABA. This will help (me/my family member) live a full, inclusive, and productive life.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Town

Attending In Person

The hearing is set for next Tuesday, April 23rd, at 2:15pm in LOB 302-304. Plan to arrive EARLY and be prepared to pay for parking. If you can, please make 18 copies of your testimony to give to the committee. Please also expect that the hearing may not start on time depending upon how long the previous hearings take for the other bills being heard that day.

If you plan on speaking, please also review our testimony tips to help you give the most effective testimony possible. Practice ahead of time to keep your testimony short and concise - you will only have 3 minutes to speak. Ideally you should not read from your written testimony; it is perfectly acceptable if your spoken testimony is not identical to your written testimony.

The address for the Legislative Office Building (LOB) is 33 N State St, Concord, NH 03301, and the hearing is in room 302-304.

CLICK HERE for downtown Concord parking information.

Submitting Testimony Online

To register your position online, fill out this form - it takes less than a minute:

• Step 1: Fill out your personal information
• Step 2: Select Tuesday, April 23rd
• Step 3: 
• Select the Committee: "House Commerce and Consumer Affairs"
• Choose the Bill: "2:15pm - SB353"
• I am: "A Member of the Public"
• I'm Representing: "Myself"
• Indicate Your Position on this Bill
• Step 4: Upload your testimony (optional)
• Step 5: Review your information and click "Submit"

Viewing the Hearing

You can watch the hearing live on the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee stream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NHHouseofRepresentatives

Please let me know if you need help writing your testimony and thank you for your advocacy,

Will