Health

Health policies have enormous impacts on the lives on Granite Staters. Federal programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have critical roles in the health and well-being of many Granite State children and families. Health programs that support individuals with disabilities, fund home-based care, and provide access to mental health and behavioral health services are essential to helping ensure the health needs of New Hampshire residents are addressed.

NHFPI strives to explain the effects of health policy decisions, both federal and state, upon the New Hampshire budget and New Hampshire residents and to explore changes in policies that could help maintain and improve people’s health, now and into the future.

What We’re Reading — the July 2026 Edition

On the last Friday of each month, the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute’s research team shares a curated list of books, research papers, podcasts, and more that are helping to shape our understanding of the economic wellbeing of the Granite State and beyond. Here are our picks for July 2026.

61 Years of Medicare and Medicaid in New Hampshire

Thursday, July 30, marks the 61st anniversary of the passage of the federal Social Security Amendments of 1965, which established Medicare and Medicaid. For more than six decades, these programs have provided essential public health coverage for millions of Granite Staters. On this anniversary, the NHFPI team examines who benefits from these programs today, as well as what recent federal and state health policy changes could mean for the future of health coverage in New Hampshire.

New Analysis: State-Mandated Budget Reductions Affect Health Programs, with Larger Cuts Likely Ahead

After lawmakers passed the State Budget, several state agencies were required to make additional significant "back-of-budget" spending reductions, leaving agency officials to decide which programs would absorb the cuts. NHFPI's new analysis examines how the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services implemented its required $25.5 million reduction for the first year of the State Budget biennium.  The analysis finds that the required reductions affected programs that help Granite Staters access mental health care, support children and families, protect public health, and put food on the table. The report also warns that larger service impacts are likely this fiscal year as one-time savings are largely exhausted and new federal policy changes increase financial pressures on state health care spending.

On 603 Day, Five Reasons to Feel Optimistic About New Hampshire’s Future

At NHFPI, we spend a lot of time examining New Hampshire’s challenges. But the data tell positive stories, too. In honor of 603 Day, we're highlighting five encouraging trends shaping the Granite State, from slowing housing price increases and declining drug-related deaths to growing freshman enrollment at UNH and improvements to roads, bridges, and child poverty.

What We’re Reading — the May 2026 Edition

Each month, NHFPI’s research team shares a curated list of books, research papers, podcasts, and more that are helping to shape our understanding of the economic wellbeing of the Granite State and beyond. Here are our picks for May 2026.