Shaheen & Hassan Participate in Opening of Families First Health, Encourage Granite Staters to Sign Up for Health Insurance

(Portsmouth, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) participated in the opening ceremony of the Families First Health & Support Center in Portsmouth. 

The Senators celebrated the opening of Families First’s new location, which will expand access to health care in the Seacoast to an additional 7,000 patients. They also thanked the center’s health care workers for their efforts fighting the pandemic and encouraged Granite Staters to enroll in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace during open enrollment, which ends January 15, 2022. Thanks to a provision authored by Shaheen and the delegation’s work to pass the American Rescue Plan, Granite Staters who get their health insurance through the Marketplace pay almost half as much in premiums, on average, and save nearly $1,000 per person per year.  

“As COVID cases reach record highs in New Hampshire, access to quality, affordable health care has never been more important. That’s why I was thrilled to join Families First today to celebrate the opening of its new facility in Portsmouth, which will extend access to care to another 7,000 Granite Staters,” said Senator Shaheen. “With the deadline to sign up for health care insurance through the ACA quickly approaching, I hope that Granite Staters take advantage of affordable premiums I fought to pass and sign up for life-saving coverage. I will continue working to ensure Granite Staters have reliable and affordable access to care.” 

“The ribbon cutting today for Families First’s newest center in Portsmouth marks an expansion of high-quality health care services on the Seacoast, which will help more Granite Staters receive the care that they need,” said Senator Hassan. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan that we passed into law, Granite Staters’ health care is more affordable than ever, and as we approach the end of the open enrollment period, I urge all Granite Staters to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.”

“This new facility will play an important role in improving patient outcomes and expanding access to affordable care,” said Representative Chris Pappas. “New Hampshire is fortunate to have Federally Qualified Health Centers like this one that keep people healthy across our state, and in the last two years we’ve all seen how critical that work is. I am profoundly thankful for the work Families First does each and every day to provide primary care and addiction recovery services in communities throughout New Hampshire, and I will keep fighting in Congress for more resources that will support our community health centers.”

Shaheen and Hassan have led efforts in Congress to protect and improve the ACA. During negotiations around the American Rescue Plan, Senator Shaheen led the push to expand and enhance the ACA’s premium tax credits. Provisions of the Senator’s bill, the Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act, were included in the American Rescue Plan that President Biden signed into law last year. In 2020, Shaheen led the Senate Democrats’ proposal to make health care affordable and accessible for Americans during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Shaheen also led all 47 Senate Democrats on a Senate resolution that would reverse the Trump administration’s Department of Justice’s decision to side with U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling that would strike down the health care law.   

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