A provision in HB648 removes two major cost-control tools insurers use for glucose monitoring devices—and your premiums may reflect it.
Most New Hampshire health services owners don't realize that HB648, signed into law, contains a provision that fundamentally changes how insurers must cover continuous glucose monitoring systems and supplies. It's not about expanding who gets coverage. It's about removing two administrative and financial barriers that insurers have long used to manage costs.
Effective 60 days after passage, HB648 mandates that health insurers cover continuous glucose monitoring systems and supplies for patients with Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes with no prior authorization requirement and no deductible applied.
That's two separate mandates working together. Prior authorization—the process where insurers require doctors to get approval before a patient receives a service—is eliminated. Deductibles, the out-of-pocket amount patients must pay before insurance kicks in, no longer apply to these devices.
The law applies to three categories of coverage under New Hampshire insurance law: fully insured group health plans (Section 1, RSA 415:6-e III(a) and III(c)), health maintenance organizations (Section 2, RSA 415:18-f III(a) and III(c)), and individual and small-group plans (Section 3, RSA 420-A:17-a III(a)). There is no sunset date stated in the law, meaning this requirement is permanent.
Prior authorization and deductibles are among the most common cost-control mechanisms insurers use. Removing both eliminates two friction points where insurers typically slow down or reduce spending on a particular service.
For owners of fully insured group health plans—the most common arrangement for small and mid-size businesses—this means your insurer will absorb these costs directly. They cannot pass the authorization burden to your employees or require them to meet a deductible first. Insurers typically respond to mandates like this by adjusting premium rates upward across their book of business to offset the increased claims costs.
For self-insured plans, the impact depends on your plan design and stop-loss coverage, but the same coverage requirements apply.
If you're renewing your health plan contract after the 60-day effective date, expect your broker or insurer to flag this change. Ask specifically whether your renewal rate reflects the removal of prior authorization and deductible requirements for glucose monitoring. Request a comparison of what your plan would cost under the old rules versus the new ones, so you understand the financial impact.
If you're currently mid-contract, check your renewal date. Some plans may not see the change reflected until their next annual renewal.
For health services providers—clinics, pharmacies, and durable medical equipment suppliers—the removal of prior authorization should streamline the approval process for eligible patients. You'll no longer need to submit authorization requests for continuous glucose monitoring systems for Type 2 and gestational diabetes patients, reducing administrative work on your end.
For a detailed, business-specific breakdown of how HB648 affects your particular plan type, consult your health insurance broker or plan administrator.