A Nashua lawmaker introduced two bills that would reshape how health insurers operate in New Hampshire, one aimed at artificial intelligence in claims decisions, the other at payment parity for telemedicine.
House Bill 1406, filed by state Rep. Alicia Gregg, would bar health insurers from using AI systems to override or alter a clinician’s medical judgment.
The proposal lands as major carriers expand automation in claims processing, especially for determinations of medical necessity, a shift that tracks closely with rising denial rates.
A September Experian report found that 41% of providers now say insurers deny claims more than 10% of the time. Three years earlier, that figure stood at 30%. Automation didn’t start the problem, but it appears to have sped it up.
The bill does not block AI use outright. Insurers could still deploy algorithms for fraud detection and internal audits. What changes is oversight.
Insurers would have to document every AI tool used in claims handling, and the New Hampshire Insurance Department could audit insurers suspected of crossing the line.
If enacted, New Hampshire would join a growing list of states tightening rules around AI in insurance. Maryland, Texas, Arizona, and Nebraska already restrict insurers from using AI as the sole basis for denying care or prior authorization, according to Beinsure.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are weighing a similar bipartisan proposal.
Gregg says regulation has to arrive early, before systems harden into standard practice. She argues AI tools can be tuned toward outcomes that save insurers money but leave patients exposed. In her view, the risk isn’t theoretical. It’s already showing up in denied care.
If lawmakers pass HB 1406 during the 2026 session and the governor signs it, the restrictions would take effect in January 2027.
Gregg’s second proposal, House Bill 1232, targets how insurers pay for telemedicine. The bill would require carriers to reimburse providers at the same rate for services delivered virtually as for in-person visits. Violations could bring fines of up to $2,500 per incident.
Gregg points to shrinking access to in-person care, especially in rural areas, as programs face funding cuts and provider shortages deepen. Telemedicine fills gaps. Only if doctors can afford to offer it.
She argues that lower reimbursement for virtual visits discourages providers from keeping telehealth options available.
Gregg says one of her own clinicians dropped telemedicine after the pandemic because insurers refused to pay comparable rates, even though the format worked better for patients.
She frames telehealth less as a novelty and more as a next step in routine care delivery. The technology exists. The demand exists. Payment policy, she says, lags behind.
If approved, HB 1232 would also take effect in January 2027. According to Beinsure analysts, taken together the bills signal a broader push to rein in insurer discretion while protecting access as care delivery keeps shifting away from traditional exam rooms.
