Hi All:

This message is asking you to reach out (email, phone, etc.) to the House Finance Committee to request support for HB1593 as soon as you can: the committee will be voting on this at 1pm tomorrow, March 26th.

Background

HB1593 -- making an appropriation to the department of health and human services to support recreational activities for individuals with developmental disabilities -- was filed because of written communication received in 2023 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This communication clarified to individuals and families that certain items and services that had been historically funded by Medicaid in NH are not supposed to be covered and no longer will be in the future.

We believe that community integration is critical to enriching our community and supporting individual goals. Given the gap created by the CMS ruling, we need to create a new fund that will use state funds to support non-therapeutic services that assist in skill development to aid health, wellness, and safety goals. For example, these services include community-based and integrated karate, adult exercise, and swimming classes that support weight loss and mental and social wellness strategies for the individual in a person-centered way.

Current Status

HB1593 has passed the Division III Finance Committee with a 6-3 vote. While this appears positive, the bill is still is at risk. The next stop is the full House Finance Committee which will be having an executive session on the bill at 1pm tomorrow, March 26th. In this session, the committee will vote to determine their recommendation on the bill.

Action to Take

The House Finance Committee will be voting on HB1593 at 1pm tomorrow. Before that time (preferably today/tonight), please reach out to the chair, vice-chair, and clerk of the committee to request support for HB1593 and amendment #2024-1161h. It can be a quick email such as the following:

To: kweyler@aol.com, Keith.Erf@leg.state.nh.us

CC: house@joepitre.com

Subject: Please support HB1593 - recreational activities for individuals with developmental disabilities

Dear Chairman Weyler and Vice Chair Erf:

<<>> was impacted by the CMS ruling that resulted in loss of funding for <<>>. This has resulted in <<>>.

The “Purpose and Policy” section RSA 171-A, which defines our service delivery system, calls for "services that emphasize community living and programs” and "services based on full participation in the community, sharing ordinary places, [and] developing meaningful relationships”. In other words, community enrichment is a core requirement of RSA 171-A.

The CMS ruling from 2023 has taken away support for non-therapeutic services for community enrichment, creating a gap between what CMS supports and what our state law RSA 171-A requires. This gap is real and is having a negative impact on people today.

The CMS ruling also came as a complete surprise to my family. I also believe the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was unable to plan for this change in their budget. In other words, this was not something that could be planned for in the state budget and this is why the appropriation is necessary.

Please support HB1593 and the proposed amendment #2024-1161h to help restore this funding.

Sincerely,

<<>>

You might also consider contacting committee members from your area. See the committee contact info page for how to reach the committee members.

Thank you for your advocacy,

Will