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Last year the governor and legislative leadership appointed a 23-member
health insurance task force whose job it was to review 3 different types
of health insurance coverage for all New Mexicans. The goal is to have
a universal health insurance bill to introduce in the 2008 legislative
session (or sooner if the governor calls a special session). The task
force hired Mathematica Policy Research Inc. of Washington D.C. to compare
the costs, financing and economic impact of the three models. The models
include a single payer system, a voucher market based system and a hybrid
market system. The committee met last week for two days with presentations
from the consultant and much heated discussion. The single payer system
appears to be the cheapest; however, the governor’s health policy
staff person announced that the governor would not support a single payer
plan. What he would support follows:
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1. Create a Health Care Authority whose purpose would be to oversee necessary
reforms and develop sources of guaranteed, affordable and portable health
coverage;
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2. Consolidate all public administrative entities like retiree health
care, public school authority and other health plans administered by State
government (maybe including Medicaid);
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3. Mandate that employers do their fair share to contribute to a healthy
work force. He has not determined at what size or employee number this
requirement would be applicable;
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4. Require that everyone in New Mexico be covered so that if someone is
eligible for Medicaid they must be on it;
- 5. Keep the current private health insurance system but remove waiting
periods for pre-existing conditions; create a statewide prescription
drug formulary; and support telehealth and health information technology;
and
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6. Require providers to accept a patients’ insurance if they are
covered by any form of public coverage (you must take Medicaid and Medicare).
Further details of his plan are not yet developed, but this will be one
of the health care plan bills introduced in the upcoming legislative session.
The committee agreed that they would endorse specific concepts of what
a plan should look like, but not support a specific plan. They will have
their final recommendations by August 1.
The Health & Human Service Interim Committee will be reviewing any
legislation, as well as taking testimony on this issue at their hearings
throughout the state. The HHS Committee wants to hear from health care
providers as well as the public on their reaction to whatever recommendations
the committee develops.
Once we have something to react to, it will be important for health care
providers to comment. Please look for a HHS Interim Committee meeting
in your area. Check the legislative website at http://legis.state.nm.us.
As an aside, the Medical Society has already endorsed a Health Care Authority
that would include regulatory agencies, payers, consumers, and care givers.
Regulatory agencies include licensing boards which we must make sure extends
beyond the Medical Board.
Linda Siegle
Lobbyist
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