Christine Battisti

Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the Committee. I write in opposition to this bill. Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) provide life care contracts that function as a form of long-term care insurance, guaranteeing care through end of life. As such, CCRCs are already regulated by the New Hampshire Insurance Department to ensure financial solvency and consumer protection. Mandating open enrollment and requiring below-cost services for at least 20 percent of residents directly conflicts with these regulations and threatens the financial stability—and potential survival—of CCRCs. Additionally, forcing CCRCs to participate in Medicaid reverses longstanding state policy and would likely increase, rather than reduce, state Medicaid spending while undermining providers’ ability to remain viable. The bill’s requirement that providers “quantitatively demonstrate” a reduction in government burden is vague and inconsistent with RSA 72:23, I, which defines charitable status based on providing a public benefit that advances the well-being of the general public—not on whether an organization saves the government money. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the Committee to find this bill Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL). Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Christine Battisti