{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140110010513/http://shea-porter.house.gov:80/media-center/press-releases/hea-porter-announces-additional-health-insurer-to-enter-new-hampshire", "Shea-Porter Announces Additional Health Insurer to Enter New Hampshire ACA Marketplace for 2015 Coverage", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Carol Shea-Porter", "S001170", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nContact: Ben Wakana, 202-225-5456\nMANCHESTER, NH \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) announced that New Hampshire consumers will have health insurance options on the Affordable Care Act\u2019s Marketplace beginning in 2015. Minuteman Health Inc. of Massachusetts has been approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand into New Hampshire and form a new health insurance CO-OP (Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan) that will offer affordable health care plans to Granite State families.\n\u201cToday\u2019s announcement means that current Anthem individual market consumers will be able to keep their hospitals and doctors until next year\u2019s open enrollment, when they will have at least two insurers competing for their business,\u201d Shea-Porter said. \u201cI am pleased that New Hampshire families and individuals will have more choices for coverage, and I will continue working to increase competition and drive down health care costs.\u201d\nThe announcement comes after the Department of Health and Human Services notified Shea-Porter that the agency has approved a loan application by Minuteman Health Inc. to expand into New Hampshire and form a new CO-OP. The CO-OP program will help non-profit health insurance issuers enter the individual and small group Marketplaces and offer competitive health insurance plans alongside Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Granite Staters will be able to sign up for plans through the CO-OP during 2014 open enrollment, with coverage beginning as early as January 1, 2015.\u00a0\nIn October 2013, Shea-Porter wrote to HHS urging the agency to approve Minuteman\u2019s application as part of her efforts to increase competition and choice for Granite Staters. New Hampshire\u2019s insurance market has historically been dominated by one insurer and higher-than-average prices. The new insurance CO-OP will be the second insurance provider offering plans on New Hampshire\u2019s ACA Marketplace, and the first nonprofit, member-governed health insurance company. The CO-OP has expressed interest in offering a wide network of hospitals and health care providers.\nFollowing news that only Anthem would offer plans through the Marketplace in 2014, Shea-Porter spoke directly to Anthem about policies that would be discontinued and the decision to offer a narrow network. After these conversations, Anthem announced that Granite Staters who already have individual market insurance policies from Anthem can renew their coverage before December 16th and keep their current hospital network and doctors, or enroll in a new plan on the Marketplace.\nThe vast majority of New Hampshire consumers \u2013 those who currently have employer-sponsored insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or VA care \u2013 can look forward to going to the same doctors and hospitals next year, but with the added benefits that come with the Affordable Care Act.\nThe full text of Shea-Porter\u2019s letter to Secretary Sebelius is below.\n\u00a0\n++++\nOctober 15, 2013\nThe Hon. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary  \n\tDepartment of Health and Human Services  \n\t200 Independence Ave., Southwest  \n\tWashington, DC 20201\n\u00a0\nDear Secretary Sebelius:\nI write to reiterate my earlier support for Minuteman Health, Inc.\u2019s expansion into New Hampshire to form a New Hampshire CO-OP. I understand that their loan application is still under consideration and that a decision will be made shortly.\nI urge you to approve this application. As we have discussed, New Hampshire currently has only one insurer offering products on the health insurance exchanges, and that insurer offers only a narrow network of hospital providers. It is the intention of the New Hampshire CO-OP to offer a wide network of hospital providers.\nI believe that having robust competition between insurers and multiple network options is critical to the long-term affordability and quality of health coverage in New Hampshire. I urge you to approve this application, which will enhance competition and choice in the Marketplace next year and will be an important advance in making healthcare reform work for my constituents.\nSincerely,\nCarol Shea-Porter  \n\tMember of Congress\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140110010513/http://shea-porter.house.gov:80/media-center/press-releases/hea-porter-announces-additional-health-insurer-to-enter-new-hampshire"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8866111747920513, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}