Deadline Extended on Bill to Expand WC to Opioid Addiction

Monday, March 12, 2018 | 0

Thanks to snowstorms that temporarily sidetracked lawmakers, the New Hampshire House of Representatives has extended the deadline for action on a bill that would allow addiction treatment to be covered by workers' compensation.

Rep. Herbert Richardson

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Herbert Richardson, R-Lancaster, would grant the rehabilitation for an employee who "has become addicted to any medication used during the treatment of an injury that was incurred in the course of work duties."

The bill also would allow the rehab and treatment to last for more than a year.

New Hampshire has been ranked No. 2 in the nation in opioid-related deaths, relative to population, and lawmakers have scrambled to find remedies.

The bill, HB 1711, will be considered by the House at its session next Thursday, a legislative spokesman said. The bill also faces review in the state Senate. 

The state Department of Labor has said it would need to hire a full-time specialist to administer the program, which would be paid from workers' compensation assessments and could result in higher premiums, according to an analysis attached to the bill.