Story Archives of 'SB 110'

SB-110 was a bill designed to attract more health insurers to New Hampshire, and it's done that. But one year later, the law's critics say it's also caused skyrocketing health premiums. now, a movement is gearing up to repeal it. We'll look into SB 110 one year later, where it's suceeding, where it's not and the role health insurance plays in Granite State business. Laura's guests are. Senator Margaret Wood Hassan, Democratic State Senator from Exeter who's sponsoring SB 118, a bill that would repeal certain provisions of SB 110. Rep. John Hunt, State Representative from Rindge. Rep. Hunt was the Chair of the committee that passed SB 110 and the House sponsor of a bill to fix SB 110. Ray White, President of Cornerstone Benefit and Retirement Group Inc., a Bedford based company that provides benefits to small businesses.

On the Seacoast, two State Senate races are drawing attention.

Both feature challengers attempting to wrest the seats from veteran legislators.

And each race centers on one of the major issues facing New Hampshire voters, health insurance and education funding.

NHPR Correspondent Roger Wood has the story.

State lawmakers today/Wednesday agreed to kill a provision that would have capped health insurance premiums for two years.

The initiative was a response to double digit increases for most New Hampshire businesses.

Those increases came despite passage of legislation last year that was supposed to keep health insurance priced down through competition.

But many small businesses are complaining the changes have resulted in skyrocketing premium increases.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.

Under the state's new health insurance law, known as Senate Bill 110, small businesses across the state are now required to gather extensive information about the health of their employees and their families. Some small businesses owners and human resources managers find the new family health statement forms burdensome and intrusive. But advocates for these insurance reforms say gathering more information is the only way to create more competition in the state's health insurance market. More competition they say will lower health insurance costs. New Hampshire Public Radio's Raquel Maria Dillon has more.

Statehouse leaders say they want to attract more insurance companies to the state, so employers have more plans and products to choose from. But others say the proposed changes may cultivate competition, but that won?t help small businesses and families. New Hampshire Public Radio?s Raquel Maria Dillon reports.