Permits a physician to perform breast surgery on a minor in certain instances at the minor's election in consultation with her primary care physician.
relative to breast surgeries for minors.
As a health care professional in NH, I support this bill as it will allow physicians to provide appropriate and evidence-based care for their minor patients. This bill recognizes the importance of physicians being able to meet the needs of their patients without unneeded government interference.
I am writing in support of HB 520. As a New Hampshire physician, I believe deeply in the integrity of the patient–physician relationship and the importance of clinical decision-making grounded in evidence, ethics, and individualized care. This bill appropriately recognizes that, in specific medical circumstances, breast surgery for minors may be medically necessary. These decisions are not made lightly—they are based on well-documented, persistent conditions, multidisciplinary evaluation, and established standards of care. HB 520 reinforces the importance of ensuring timely access to appropriate surgical care for adolescents when clinically indicated. Delaying or denying such care can prolong physical pain, worsen functional impairment, and exacerbate psychological distress. Conversely, when provided appropriately, these interventions reduce suffering, restore function, and support improved long-term health outcomes. Legislation should support—not interfere with—evidence-based medical care and the professional judgment of trained clinicians working in partnership with patients and their families. I respectfully urge you to vote in support of HB 520.”
Written Testimony in Support of SB 520 Senate Bill 520 – Relative to Breast Surgeries for Minors House Committee on Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Submitted by P. Travis Harker, MD, MPH Family Physician, Manchester New Hampshire I write in support of SB 520, which restores a narrow but meaningful exception to New Hampshire’s current prohibition on breast surgery for minors — specifically, permitting the procedure when elected by the minor in consultation with her primary care physician. As a family physician with more than two decades of clinical practice and medical education experience, I believe this bill reflects something fundamental about how good medicine works: it begins with a trusting relationship between a patient and her doctor. The existing law, as written, removes the primary care physician from a decision that is deeply personal and medically significant. SB 520 puts that physician back in the room. It does not mandate any procedure. It does not bypass families. It simply recognizes that a minor, in consultation with her own doctor — the clinician who knows her history, her values, and her circumstances — may be best positioned to make this decision with appropriate medical guidance. This is not a radical proposition. It is the foundation of patient-centered care. Legislators are concerned about protecting minors from potential harm. I share that concern. But medicine also requires us to recognize that withholding care can itself cause harm — physical, psychological, and developmental. Blanket prohibitions that prevent physicians from exercising clinical judgment do not protect patients; they abandon them. SB 520 is a carefully scoped bill. It adds a single, limited exception to an otherwise restrictive statute. It preserves the role of the primary care physician as a trusted partner in the decision. It honors the patient’s voice without removing appropriate medical oversight. I urge the Committee to recommend SB 520 for passage. Respectfully submitted, P. Travis Harker, MD, MPH
I am writing in support of HB 520. I believe deeply in the integrity of the patient–physician relationship and the importance of clinical decision-making grounded in evidence, ethics, and individualized care. This bill appropriately recognizes that, in specific medical circumstances, breast surgery for minors may be medically necessary. These decisions are not made lightly—they are based on well-documented, persistent conditions, multidisciplinary evaluation, and established standards of care. HB 520 reinforces the importance of ensuring timely access to appropriate surgical care for adolescents when clinically indicated. Delaying or denying such care can prolong physical pain, worsen functional impairment, and exacerbate psychological distress. Conversely, when provided appropriately, these interventions reduce suffering, restore function, and support improved long-term health outcomes. Legislation should support evidence-based medical care and the professional judgment of trained clinicians working in partnership with patients and their families. I respectfully urge you to vote in support of HB 520.
This was a good bill until it was amended to severely restrict allowable reasons for surgery, thus, once again, inserting the legislature in what should be a decision made by families in consultation with medical personnel.
These type of life altering surgeries should not permitted on minors without parental consult.
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