Governor Ayotte: House Must Act to Hold Anthem and Other Insurers Accountable

CONCORD, N.H. - Today, the New Hampshire Union Leader published the following OpEd from Governor Kelly Ayotte calling on the House to pass legislation holding Anthem and other insurance companies accountable for covering children's mental health services.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte: House must act to hold Anthem and other insurers accountable

Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to recognize the incredible providers, advocates, volunteers, and families across New Hampshire who work every day to support children and loved ones facing mental health challenges. Their compassion and dedication help save lives, strengthen families, and ensure people get help before a crisis becomes even more serious.

It's also an opportunity to acknowledge where we need to do better.

Right now, too many families are struggling to access the mental health care and wraparound services their children need because insurance companies refuse to provide adequate coverage for those services. Parents shouldn't have to spend their time battling insurance companies when their child is struggling nor drain their retirement accounts to pay for the care their children need.

It's appalling that Anthem and other carriers would deny coverage for critical life-saving services to any child experiencing a mental health crisis. I was extremely disappointed by the House Commerce Committee's decision to stall Senate Bill 498, which would hold these companies accountable and protect coverage for these services for some of our most vulnerable children.

This is not a new issue. Providers and families have been sounding the alarm for years that children are not receiving timely access to the care they need, and, time and again, insurance companies have failed to come to the table with meaningful solutions while the state is left to fill in the gaps.
When mental health challenges go untreated or support is delayed, children can experience more severe crises that may ultimately require institutional care. It shouldn't get to that point. We should be doing everything we can to help children stay safely at home with the appropriate services and support around them.

Protecting this coverage is not only compassionate - it's common sense. The Senate passed SB 498 to ensure that happens, and they did their homework with mental health providers, advocates, and experts who work directly with these families involved in every step of the process. Despite the House Commerce Committee's misguided decision not to advance this legislation, there is still an opportunity for members to do the right thing when SB 498 goes to the floor.

We've had ongoing discussions with the insurance companies over the last several months involving Insurance Commissioner D.J. Bettencourt, our Department of Health and Human Services, and members of my team in an effort to come to a solution. But carriers have continued making empty promises instead of delivering, as they have done year after year.

The fact of the matter is that we wouldn't need this legislation if insurers were already doing the right thing voluntarily. But when they fail to provide adequate coverage for kids experiencing a mental health challenge, taxpayers are left to absorb the cost of more intensive care later on. I refuse to let Anthem and other insurance carriers continue to let taxpayers foot the bill for their refusal to provide adequate coverage for these critical services. Our kids and families deserve better, and I urge the New Hampshire House to reverse its misguided decision not to hold Anthem and other insurance carriers accountable and protect coverage for mental health services for our children.

We're not giving up on this issue, and we'll continue working with legislators, providers, advocates, and families to get this done and ensure our children - and their families - get the care and support they need. By holding Anthem and other insurance companies accountable and protecting coverage for these critical services, we are further strengthening our mental health system and ensuring a healthier future for our kids.