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Any individual or organization dissatisfied with a decision made by any office within DHHS may request an administrative appeal hearing from the Administrative Appeals Unit that is part of the Office of Program Support.
Some examples of decisions that may be appealed to the AAU include:
- DHHS actions to deny, terminate or decrease individual benefits (e.g. Medicaid, food stamps, home and community based care, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Old Age Assistance, child care assistance);
- Denials and revocations of licenses and certifications;
- Imposition of administrative fines;
- Allegations of client rights violations for mentally ill or developmentally disabled individuals;
- Revocation of conditional discharges from New Hampshire Hospital (NHH);
- Transfers of NHH patients to the Secure Psychiatric Unit; and
- Findings that place individuals on the DHHS central registry of child abuse and neglect.
The AAU is independent of DHHS Offices and Divisions, with a mission to conduct impartial hearings and render decisions in accordance with the requirements of NH Statutes and Administrative Rules. While these hearings are formal legal proceedings, they are conducted in an informal manner allowing those who challenge a DHHS decision to tell their stories to an impartial hearing officer. These hearing officers review documentary evidence, hear testimony under oath from individuals, and issue written final DHHS legal decisions that may confirm or reverse the original determinations made by DHHS program offices.
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