Every Granite Stater deserves access to health care close to home when they need it. That means being able to see a doctor when you're sick, get timely mental health support, and find doctors who are available and accepting patients. Yet too many face long waits, outdated provider directories, and the frustration of discovering an in-network doctor isn't taking new patients. In fact, one in four insured adults had a time in the past year when an in-network doctor they needed didn't have available appointments.1 Right now, private insurance companies self-report whether they have enough available doctors, and state regulators have no way to verify what patients actually experience when they try to make an appointment. That's why 91% of insured adults support policies requiring accurate, up-to-date information about in-network doctors.1
SB 546 aims to ensure Granite State patients can access timely health care through their insurance plan, using proven methods already required for public insurance programs.
Take Action
Share Your Story
Please share your experience with accessing timely health care using the form below.
Consider the following questions in your response.
- Have you had to travel far or wait a long time to see a doctor?
- Have you ever had trouble finding a doctor in your insurance plan who was accepting new patients?
- Have you called doctors listed in your insurance directory only to find they weren't available, taking your insurance, or had long wait times?
- Have you paid unexpected out-of-network costs because you couldn't find an available in-network doctor?
Need help? Contact Wendy Chase (Community Engagement Coordinator) for help taking action or Sam Burgess (Health Care Policy Coordinator) with policy questions.
About the Bill
SB 546 would use "secret shopper" audits to verify patients with private insurance can actually access care. These audits work simply: independent reviewers anonymously call doctors, just like a real patient would, to check whether doctors are available and accepting new patients. This same method is already used by the federal government for Medicaid and Marketplace plans because it's an effective, low-cost way to see what patients actually experience when trying to get care. The audits would then be reported to the New Hampshire Insurance Department, which works to ensure a fair health insurance market. By extending this oversight tool to private insurance coverage, we can help ensure every New Hampshire patient can get the care they need when they need it.
Bill Status
December 2025: The bill was assigned as SB 546 and its text was released. Next, it will be assigned to a Senate committee for review and a public hearing.
September 2025: The bill was introduced and a legislative service request was filed.
To learn more about how a bill becomes a law, visit our About the Legislature webpage sign up for a New Futures advocacy training.
References
- Pollitz, K., Pestaina, K., Montero, A., Lopes, L., Valdes, I., Kirzinger, A., & Brodie, M. (2025, August 9). KFF Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance. KFF. https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/kff-survey-of-consumer-experiences-with-health-insurance
