For Immediate Release

July 14, 2026

Insurance coverage of Naturopathic Doctors signed into New Hampshire law

Concord, NH – Governor Kelly Ayotte has signed SB 550 into law. Effective January 1, 2027, private insurance companies will be required to cover Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) under group plans, which are insurance plans offered by employers. A previous law, signed in 2012, provided coverage of Naturopathic Doctors under individual plans – those plans purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Currently, only 5.5% of NH residents have individual insurance plans that cover naturopathic medicine, while 55% of people are covered by employer-sponsored insurance. While some group plans do cover naturopathic medicine, the new law clarifies that NH group as well as individual insurance plans will cover a visit with an ND. Patients who value and rely on naturopathic medicine will be able to use their insurance coverage for a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor instead of paying out-of-pocket. This means that more NH residents will have access to naturopathic medicine thanks to SB 550, which was sponsored by Senator David Rochefort.

Naturopathic Doctors have been licensed in NH for 31 years and have a broad scope of practice, including providing primary care. Increasing access to naturopathic medicine will reduce the healthcare provider shortage as well as reduce total medical expenditures, particularly for chronic disease, prescription drug use, and high-cost interventions. Due to the cost-savings nature of naturopathic medicine in utilizing root-cause, preventive medicine, and treating with diet and lifestyle, we estimate that patients, employers, and insurance companies will save millions of dollars per year by increasing access to Naturopathic Doctors.

Dr. Michelle Haff, President of the New Hampshire Association of Naturopathic Doctors (NHAND) states, “This is a great day for Granite Staters. Use of naturopathic medicine has quadrupled in the last 20 years, and we’re thrilled people will be able to consistently access this valuable service through their insurance.”

For more information, visit the NH Association of Naturopathic Doctors website: https://nhand.org/legislation. Please direct all media inquiries to president@nhand.org

Media Contact: Dr. Michelle Haff, NHAND President and Legislative Chair
Email: president@nhand.org
Phone: 603-707-4433

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