Lowering Costs and Improving Health in New Hampshire

MORE AFFORDABLE AND EQUITABLE ACCESS IN THE GRANITE STATE

New Hampshire is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. However, healthcare costs are rising much faster than wages and faster than costs in other states. These trends are significantly straining families, businesses, and the healthcare system itself and putting our quality of life at risk.

Hospital mergers, labor shortages, and high deductibles are making it more difficult to see a medical professional in our state. Growing maternity care deserts force pregnant patients to drive over an hour to reach a provider or access a hospital to give birth. Many Granite Staters are rationing medication, waiting months for an appointment, and facing tough choices between paying for their healthcare or feeding their families.

A child and an elderly man, likely her grandfather, sit in the waiting room for an appointment. The child is holding a book and a doll.

Rising healthcare costs force patients to skip or delay essential treatments, cause financial hardships for families, and create hard choices for businesses that want to offer affordable health coverage to their employees

A female wheelchair user is having a coffee and writing in a notebook.

The New Hampshire Health Cost Initiative will address these challenges by bringing together healthcare consumers, providers, business owners, and community leaders to develop real solutions to rising costs and a long-term vision for affordable healthcare in our state.

Together, we can create a more equitable, sustainable healthcare system that benefits all Granite Staters.

SHAPING A NEW DIRECTION FOR LOWER COSTS AND BETTER CARE

A heart icon with a check mark inside, to indicate health improvement.

Improving our Health

Lower healthcare costs mean Granite Staters get essential care on time, preventing simple issues from becoming life-threatening.

Four icons linked together, to indicate strengthening of families and communities.

Strengthening our Families and Communities

Affordable healthcare leaves more room in families’ budgets for education, healthy food, and essential needs.

An icon of a plant pot with a growing dollar sign, to indicate economic growth.

Growing our Economy

Reducing healthcare costs allows businesses to invest in their growth and attracts young families to New Hampshire.

An icon of an upward facing hand with a health sign on it, to indicate increasing trust in the healthcare system.

Restoring Trust in Healthcare

Increased price transparency and accountability builds awareness and confidence in our healthcare system and will encourage Granite Staters to access the care they need.

A scale icon, to indicate addressing health inequities.

Addressing Healthcare Inequities

Providing culturally competent care and removing barriers to healthcare access ensures that all individuals, regardless of their background or geography, receive the necessary care.

An icon of a person next to a stroller, to indicate improving child and maternal health outcomes.

Improving Maternal and Child Health Outcomes

Targeted investments in healthcare infrastructure and maternal health services, alongside policies ensuring affordable, high-quality care, are essential for the well-being of pregnant people, infants, and young children.