Author
State nears deadline for closing Sununu Youth Services Center with no plan for at-risk juveniles
Last year, lawmakers gave the state Department of Health and Human Services until March 1, 2023, to close the Sununu Youth Services Center and relocate the five to 10 juveniles typically detained there. Last week, they killed the bill that would have given the department the money, guidance, and authority to meet that deadline. Unless […]
Bill to require parental permission for youth risk survey fails
A bill that would have jeopardized the ability of child advocates, public health leaders, and law enforcement to identify and address youth health risks has died. House Bill 1639 would have required parents to grant permission for their child to participate in an anonymous survey that asks high school students about their exposure to substances, […]
Q&A: With cases climbing again, here’s what the COVID-19 picture looks like in New Hampshire
COVID-19 – and the the public’s appetite for safety measures – look different these days. Cases and hospitalizations, which were relatively flat in late March, are slowly climbing in New Hampshire, though they are nowhere near the numbers we saw in January and February. On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 dashboard […]
Compromise reached on bill that would allow store owners to sell keno tickets
It’s looking like good news for store owners who want to sell and not just cash in keno tickets. Currently only bars and restaurants can sell the tickets, which allow players to pick one to 12 numbers and wager $1 to $25. But in a compromise bill that will go before the full House and […]
A new round of free, at-home COVID-19 tests announced
The federal government is offering a third round of free COVID-19 tests just as cases and hospitalizations are increasing. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that each household can order eight tests at covid.gov/tests. Households that did not take advantage of the first or second round of free tests may order additional tests. To do so, […]
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England to close Claremont health center
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is closing its Claremont health center as well as four locations in Vermont in response to the expansion of telehealth, hiring challenges, and funding obstacles. Those include the loss of federal money under the Trump administration and the Executive Council’s denial of state contracts for low-cost reproductive health care. […]
Health and Human Services seeks permission to distribute unsold COVID-19 tests
The 1 million COVID-19 tests Health and Human Services ordered in January to sell at state liquor stores didn’t quite fly off the shelves, leaving about 926,000 tests still available. The department has asked the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee for permission to send many of the surplus tests to health centers, schools, camps, and child […]
Dartmouth Health, GraniteOne Health abandon merger plans following objections from AG
Two of the state’s largest health care providers have abandoned plans to merge following objections from the Attorney General’s Office, which said the proposed partnership between Dartmouth Health and GraniteOne Health would limit competition yet not provide protections for consumers. “New Hampshire consumers already pay exceptionally high prices for health care,” said Attorney General John […]
Expanded dental benefits for Medicaid recipients on the cusp of becoming reality
After years of coming close, the state is poised to give its approximately 85,000 residents on Medicaid coverage not just for tooth extractions and emergency dental care but also for the diagnostic and preventive care needed to fend off those serious problems. The House and Senate gave final approval to Senate Bill 422 Thursday, and […]
Sununu touts New Hampshire’s abortion ban on national podcast
This story was updated May 14, 2022 at 7:30 a.m. to correct the name of the co-host. Asked in a podcast interview what abortion restrictions he’d put in place if he had his choice, Gov. Chris Sununu defended the 24-week abortion ban he signed last year and boasted he was the first Republican governor in […]
Lawmakers work on bill to make it easier for people to remove records from vaccine registry
Currently, the state will remove a person’s immunization records from its new vaccine registry only if their former or current health care provider signs a withdrawal form. The House and Senate have passed legislation making that process easier, but have rejected efforts to eliminate the signature requirement. As introduced, House Bill 1487 would have required […]
Attorney general defends YDC settlement fund, says state committed to ‘doing the right thing’
Attorney General John Formella defended his proposed $100 million Youth Development Center abuse settlement fund Monday, pushing back against complaints that it excludes victims of emotional abuse and sexual abuse with no physical contact, including some who were the subjects of child abuse images. “We saw a lot of discussion that this bill excluded victims, […]