The biggest sticking point that has resulted in lack of a federal budget and the government shutdown is the high increase to health insurance premiums for millions of Americans and around 50,000 New Hampshire residents.
NEWS: The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act makes the most significant changes to Medicaid in two decades, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU: Changes to Medicaid don’t just affect those who are enrolled in it, but have an impact on health care costs in general, as well as state budgets.
An average of 9,095 Manchester residents were enrolled in Granite Advantage in 2024, representing 14.7 percent of the total average number enrolled in the program during that year. Nashua (5,209 adults), Concord (2,455 adults), and Rochester (2,284 adults) all had two thousand or more residents receiving Granite Advantage coverage due to each municipality’s large population size.
Imagine living on $1,304.17 a month. For many Granite Staters, this is not a hypothetical—it’s their reality. That’s the monthly income for an individual at the 2025 federal poverty level. Now consider that the median rent for a studio apartment in New Hampshire is $1,297. That leaves $7.17 for food, transportation, medical needs, heat, clothing, and other necessities. Seven dollars. For an entire month. No amount of creative household budgeting can cover all individual expenses at that rate.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a plan to slash $700+ billion from Medicaid over the next decade—marking the largest proposed cuts in the program’s history. These cuts are designed to fund massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. For New Hampshire, the consequences would be devastating.
“When the Congressional Republicans in the Trump administration talk about cutting Medicaid by about a third, that implies that they’re going to cut Medicaid expansion, their contribution to below 90%. Under New Hampshire state law, that automatically cancels the program.’ said Senator Hassan.
Reductions in federal funding of Medicaid will force NH to have to make difficult choices. It could mean cuts to crucial Medicaid programs like the Katie Beckett option and most likely will increase restrictions on eligibility, increase service limitations, increase and normalize institutionalization, increase waitlist time for waiver services, and more.
The Foundation for Healthy Communities (FHC) has been awarded the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Federally Facilitated Exchange Grant. This 5-year grant will provide $1.5 million in the first year to assist consumers across the state with enrollment in the federal Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).