NH HHS commissioner to present plan to cut $38M to governor within 10 days; wants quick action

NH HHS commissioner to present budget cut plan

CONCORD, N.H. — The head of New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday he will present a plan to cut $38 million from his budget to the governor and lawmakers within 10 days.

DHHS commissioner Nicholas Toumpas told The Associated Press in an interview that he hopes lawmakers will act on the cuts next month so they can be implemented by the end of March. Toumpas declined to give specifics, but said he does not anticipate across-the-board staffing cuts to fill the hole — though he said staff could be laid off if selective programs are reduced or eliminated.

Lawmakers directed Toumpas to make almost $8 million in reductions this fiscal year and another $13 million next year when they adopted the budget in June. Since then, demand for services has been well above budget projections which added to the amount Toumpas must cut by June.

Toumpas said the impact will be less severe the sooner the cuts are made.

“I want to avoid mindless cutting,” he said.

Some reductions will be made to ensure money is available to meet the high demand for services due to the poor economy. But others will be internal changes Toumpas had planned to roll out next summer as part of a department restructuring.

Toumpas said the restructuring changes made this winter will not be the major overhaul planned for next summer that will affect health care providers contracting with the state.

For several months, the agency has been presenting an outline of the state’s restructuring plans to health care providers around the state. Toumpas has repeatedly warned that the state will trim the number of providers it contracts with after July, both to streamline the delivery system and improve the services citizens receive.

He repeated that warning Thursday, but said key elements of the restructuring plan are still being developed. He said he hopes medical and others who provide services to the poor will work with the state to create service systems unique to different, yet-to-be-identified regions.

“They’re not as integrated as I believe they need to be,” he said.

Toumpas envisions the state contracting with a few providers in a region and the regional providers subcontracting where necessary. He said some providers have merged or are contemplating doing so in anticipation of the looming change.

Toumpas said the restructuring is a long-term effort to deal with chronic budget constraints.

“It’s really focused on better service to the people, trying to do a better job in serving people, dare I say the customer experience,” he said.