NH Plan to Reauthorize Medicaid Expansion Clears First Hurdle

A plan for reauthorizing Medicaid expansion has cleared its first hurdle in the New Hampshire House.

Lawmakers on Wednesday approved a proposal that includes work requirements for recipients and asks insurance companies and hospitals to help foot the state's share of the program's costs. The bill now goes to the House Finance Committee.

New Hampshire crafted a version of Medicaid expansion in 2014 that uses federal dollars to put people on private insurance plans. The program insures people who make up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $16,000 a year for an individual.

But federal funding is set to start dropping next year, and the state's plan will sunset at the end of 2016 if lawmakers don't vote to reauthorize it.

Gov. Maggie Hassan said Wednesday's vote is a step forward.