Lawmakers working on tick-borne disease testing bill

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Lawmakers in New Hampshire are working on a bill that would require more insurance coverage for people who get tick-borne disease testing.

Rep. Megan Murray, a first-term Democrat from Amherst, said her constituents have told her that doctors often prioritize testing for Lyme disease after a tick bite, New Hampshire Public Radio reported Monday.

Murray's bill, which has bipartisan co-sponsors, would require insurers to cover additional advanced, broad tests that could catch Lyme and other more rare diseases.

Murray said she hopes that testing for these diseases earlier will prevent delayed diagnoses, as well as lower costs for patients and insurers.