Policy Blog NH

Some context for the brewing hospitals vs. state battle

The announcement this week that Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia would no longer provide care to Medicaid clients has sparked renewed interest in the recent changes in the state budget that reduced Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals. It also raises questions about the financial status of health systems in New Hampshire.

A presentation released earlier this year by the Center (available here) describes the budget changes, the financial impacts, and the potential responses by the hospitals. But how does LRGH’s announcement fit into the larger claim made by hospitals that recent budget changes threw them into financial peril?

Will tighter state spending spur economic growth?

We often get asked the question:  What impact do recent state budget changes have on New Hampshire’s employment picture? The answer to questions is complicated by many factors, not the least of which is figuring out which changes in the job market are due directly to budgetary cuts. However, at a macro level, we can begin to understand the impact that a slowdown in government spending has on state employment. And we can begin to focus attention on another, perhaps more central, question: Will budgetary changes position New Hampshire to flourish in the future?