The View from the Granite State

You’re probably aware by now: AllWays Health Partners is one of the fastest growing health plans in the region, and we’re expanding our New Hampshire provider network to meet the needs of our increased membership. As an AllWays Health Partners employee who was born and raised in the Granite State, I’m excited about our expansion into New Hampshire. In addition, my parents are third-generation New Hampshire natives, and primary care physicians who practiced medicine for decades in my hometown of Concord, NH. So health care in New Hampshire is near and dear to my heart.

Independence and partnerships

New Hampshire’s spirit of independence translates into its health care preferences. Healthcare is seen as a local service—to be provided in the community, by the local clinic, hospital, and doctor in the community. New Hampshire providers tend to refer within their local practice community. Some physicians maintain smaller practices, but physicians are increasingly part of larger medical groups linked to hospitals that are themselves linking up with other providers.

To honor these preferences, AllWays Health Partners is eager to collaborate with providers to ensure that members can access care that meets their expectations and lifestyle. (Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletters to learn about ways to share feedback with us, including our current website satisfaction survey.) We’re contracted with primary and secondary care practices so members can get most of their care in their home state. Providers can also refer to Boston’s academic medical centers for tertiary care. Since AllWays Health Partners is part of a health system, we work to make referrals and authorizations easy for our providers. In our online portal, providers can request an authorization or check a referral in minutes.

Change is in the (crisp mountain) air

The New Hampshire hospital landscape is changing rapidly, and new partnerships are emerging almost every day. In the North, hospitals have formed alliances within the state. In the East, Partners owns Wentworth Douglass Hospital and plans to acquire Exeter. HCA owns two hospitals and hopes to add another. Maine Health  acquired a North Conway facility. Dartmouth Hitchcock is aligning with GraniteOne Health. In the South, Manchester’s Catholic Medical Center intends to align with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Elliot Health System has now combined with Southern New Hampshire Health — an integrated system known as SolutionHealth. 

Many insurers are operating in New Hampshire today. Some have merged with others, some want to merge with others, and nearly all of them have arrangements with many providers in their networks. The names and alliances may be different next year than they are now.