State Legislative Update: June 2024

The NH State Legislative session is just concluding and was overall a quiet session in regard to impact on physical therapy.  There were no bills that passed which have direct impact on physical therapy with the exception of:

SB455: Relative to Medicaid reimbursement rates for prosthetic and orthotic devices

This bill directs the department of health and human services to establish a reimbursement rate for prosthetic and orthotic devices under Medicaid that is equal to no less than 90 percent of the rate under Medicare and makes an appropriation to the department for this purpose.  The bill also directs the legislative oversight committee on health and human services to study the issue.

For questions or to become more involved, reach out to nhapta@libertysquaregroup.com

June 2023

Here is an update on a few of the bills we are following in the state:

·       HB188: Relative to the Duration of Physical Therapy. This bill removes the 25-day referral mandate from the NH Direct Access regulation, functionally making NH an unrestricted direct access state. The bill has passed both the House and Senate and is now just awaiting the governor’s signature. 

·       HB66: Establishing a Commission to Study Non-pharmacological Treatment Options for Patients with Chronic Pain. This bill passed both legislative bodies and was signed by the governor. It becomes effective 07/18/2023. This will bring together a variety of interested parties on a committee to work on creating and recommending strategies to address chronic pain for citizens of the state.

·       HB467: Relative to Public Playground Accessibility. This bill seeks to make all public playgrounds accessible via pathways made of durable composite materials. In this way, the playgrounds will be more welcoming and inclusive to all children and caregivers, especially those with disabilities. This bill is in an “Ought to Pass” stage but is still in the legislative process with amendments being considered. 

April 2023

The NH State Legislative session continues to move along. Here is the status on just three of the bills we have been following:
 HB66: Establishing a Commission to Study Non-Pharmacological Treatment Options for Patients with Chronic Pain. This bill would establish a commission to study, collect data, and create a pilot program to encourage and support non-pharmacological interventions to address chronic pain. This bill has passed both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law.
 HB188: Relative to the Duration of Physical Therapy. This bill would remove the requirement that a physical therapist refer a patient to a health care provider if there is no documented improvement after 25 days of treatment that is currently part of the NH PT Practice Act regarding PT Direct Access. This bill has passed both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law.
 HB467: Relative to Playground Accessibility. This bill would require any public playground in use on or after 01/01/2024 to have accessible pathways made of resilient rubber, composite surfacing, or a similar solid surface material. The bill has passed the House and is currently with the Senate for review.

More information is about these bills and more can be found at www.nh.gov where you can
hover over the Government tab and click on NH State Legislature.
APTA NH State Legislative contact: Mark Mailloux

March 2023

The NH State Legislature is in the middle of its current session.  Here are a sampling of the bills we are following:

HB188: Relative to the Duration of Physical Therapy.  This bill seeks to remove the 25 day requirement for referring patients to another healthcare provider if there is no documented improvement. It will ease and simply the restrictions surrounding a physical therapist’s direct access practice.

Link to bill: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=418&inflect=2

HB258: Establishing a Certification for Animal Chiropractors.  This bill outlines a certification process for chiropractors treating animals and working in concert with the veterinary board.  May be of interest for physical therapists who offer animal physical therapy services.

Link to bill: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=242&inflect=2

HB66: Establishing a Committee to Study Non-pharmacological Treatment Options for Patients with Chronic Pain.  This bill would create a committee to evaluate the feasibility of a pilot program for non-pharmacological treatment of chronic pain.  If passed the would provide an opportunity to advocate for PT involvement on committee.

Link to bill: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=196&inflect=2

We are also following bills that seek to address how the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) operates (HB655/HB594/HB2).  For more information go to www.NH.gov, hover over the Government tab and click on NH State Legislature where you can input the bill number or search text. 

NH State Legislative Contact: Mark Mailloux