New Hampshire Bill Would Make Employers Pay for Any Required COVID-19 Test

May 7, 2021

Employers who require COVID-19 tests for applicants or workers would be required to pay for them under a bill heard by a New Hampshire House committee Wednesday.

The bill would prohibit employers from requiring that an employee or job applicant pay the cost of a COVID-19 test as a condition of employment.

Sen. Suzanne Prentiss, D-West Lebanon, said she and other sponsors of the legislation had heard from constituents who had been required to be tested before returning to work after a quarantine period but did not have insurance or the means to pay.

According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, most health insurance plans cover COVID-19 tests without a copay or deductible. Those without insurance or those with plans that do not fully cover the cost of testing can apply to have the state pay for the test through a limited testing benefit.

Passing the bill would bolster businesses that promote themselves as safe workplaces, Prentiss told the House committee on labor, and industrial and rehabilitative services.

No one spoke against the bill, which passed the Senate in March.