CONCORD — Starting in January, nearly half of New Hampshire's 26 hospitals, including Portsmouth Regional Hospital, won't serve patients who get individual health insurance through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

CONCORD — Starting in January, nearly half of New Hampshire's 26 hospitals, including Portsmouth Regional Hospital, won't serve patients who get individual health insurance through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.



Anthem will be the only company providing individual health insurance plans through the new marketplaces required under the federal Affordable Care Act. The Telegraph of Nashua reports (http://bit.ly/15AAw2k) that Anthem will use a "narrower network" of 14 hospitals for customers with individual plans whether or not they purchase plans through the marketplace. Anthem officials described their plans Wednesday at a meeting of the Legislature's Health Reform Oversight Committee.



Critics say the change will force many people to travel farther to get to a hospital or doctor's office.



Hospitals not in the network include Concord Hospital and Androscoggin Valley Regional Hospital in Berlin, as well as Portsmouth Regional and others.



State Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth, will be joined by staff from the N.H. Department of Insurance to host a pair of forums to discuss the pending Affordable Care Act. The Portsmouth event will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the public library, located at 175 Parrrott Ave. The Durham event will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at that town's public library, at 49 Madbury Road.