Why Medicaid Expansion is Essential for New Hampshire’s Future
New Hampshire is at a crossroads. With the state’s Medicaid expansion program facing a set of drastic changes thousands of Granite Staters face the possibility of losing access to critical healthcare services. Proposed federal funding cuts threaten to make the situation bad for our communites, hospitals and healthcare costs. This is not just a policy debate—it is a decision that will impact families, businesses, hospitals, and the state’s economy for years to come.
Medicaid Expansion is a Lifeline for Working Families
Since its implementation, Medicaid expansion has provided health coverage to more than 60,000 low-income residents in New Hampshire, many of whom were working but unable to afford private insurance. This program ensures that individuals can access preventive care, mental health services, substance use treatment, and life-saving medical interventions. Without it, thousands will be forced to delay treatment, leading to higher emergency room costs, increased hospital debt, and worse health outcomes.
The evidence is clear: states that have rolled back Medicaid expansion have seen higher rates of uninsured residents, worse health outcomes, and increased financial strain on already struggling hospitals. Cutting this program would push New Hampshire backward, worsening disparities in healthcare access and putting lives at risk.
Protecting New Hampshire’s Economy and Rural Hospitals
Beyond individual health, Medicaid expansion is essential for New Hampshire’s hospitals and economy. Rural hospitals, in particular, depend on Medicaid reimbursements to stay open. If Medicaid expansion ends, many hospitals will see higher uncompensated care costs, forcing some to cut services or even shut down.
New Hampshire’s business community also recognizes the importance of a healthy workforce. Without access to affordable healthcare, workers are more likely to miss work due to untreated illnesses, decreasing productivity and increasing costs for employers. Medicaid expansion helps keep people healthy, on the job, and contributing to the state’s economy.
The Cost of Inaction
Cutting Medicaid expansion would cost New Hampshire much more. Without Medicaid coverage, many uninsured residents will again turn to emergency rooms, driving up healthcare costs for hospitals, taxpayers, and insured individuals. When people can’t access preventive care, they end up needing more expensive treatments down the road—costing the system far more than maintaining Medicaid coverage in the first place. We know this, it is where we were 15 years ago before the Affordable Care Act.
Additionally, New Hampshire has benefited from federal funding that helps sustain Medicaid expansion. If federal cuts move forward while the state phases out its expansion program, the financial burden will fall on New Hampshire’s hospitals, businesses, and taxpayers. And, with an impact of up to $500 million per year, it would create a budget defect.
A Call to Action
Medicaid expansion has saved lives, strengthened hospitals, and supported the state’s economy. Losing this critical program would be a step backward, harming thousands of working families and making healthcare less accessible, more expensive, and more inequitable.
Now is the time to urge our legislators to renew Medicaid expansion and reject short-sighted federal funding cuts. We must stand up for the health of our neighbors, our workforce, and our economy.
What You Can Do:
Contact your state representatives and urge them to support Medicaid expansion.
Share your story if Medicaid expansion has impacted you or someone you know.
Advocate for solutions that strengthen New Hampshire’s healthcare system rather than dismantle it.
Healthcare is not a privilege—it is a necessity. Let’s protect Medicaid expansion and ensure a healthier, stronger future for all Granite Staters.
