State health insurance program wants feedback from New Mexicans on possible expansion

The New Mexico Health Care Authority wants to gather public input on “Medicaid Forward,” the state government’s plan to expand its Medicaid program to more New Mexicans. (Photo via Getty Images)

You are invited to give feedback on a plan to expand New Mexico’s safety-net health insurance program for the very poor.

The New Mexico Health Care Authority wants to gather public input on “Medicaid Forward,” the state government’s plan to expand its Medicaid program to more New Mexicans.

In 2023, the Legislature and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham enacted House Bill 400 , which requires state officials to study what it would take to create a health insurance plan administered by the state of New Mexico.

The state and the federal government already jointly run and pay for the Medicaid program. The expansion would mean free or low-cost health insurance would become available to New Mexico residents who are under the age of 65, who aren’t otherwise eligible for Medicaid, and whose household income is more than 133% of the federal poverty line, according to the law’s text .

The New Mexico Health Care Authority said in a news release on Thursday it wants to hear from people on any topic related to Medicaid. They also want input on specific issues like enrollment and the commercial market, provider reimbursement rates, access to health care, premiums and cost sharing,

New Mexico officials are also seeking feedback on possible employer and employee impacts of the new law.

According to KFF Health News , as of Aug. 1, about 219,100 New Mexicans have lost their health insurance that they were getting through the Medicaid program. This is a result of the so-called “ unwinding ” of the temporary disenrollment protection that was in place when the federal government mandated COVID-19 responses as a public health emergency.

Data compiled by KFF show that out of all completed Medicaid redeterminations, 85% of the people in New Mexico who lost their health insurance were dropped because of procedural reasons, and not because they were determined ineligible for coverage.

How to attend the meeting

The New Mexico Health Care Authority will host a virtual public meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

You can attend the meeting via Zoom at this link . The passcode is 903674.

You can also attend via phone by calling 253-205-0468.

When she presented the legislation to a panel during the 2023 session, House Majority Whip Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe), a co-sponsor, said the study would look at whether to charge patients insurance copayments on a sliding scale based on their income.

The study will also consider other groups of people who could benefit from getting free health insurance, like state employees or teachers, Szczepanski said.

An expanded Medicaid program could also create another affordable option for people who don’t have health insurance, she said.

The state budget for the previous fiscal year included $500,000 to pay for the study.

Under the law, the Health Care Authority secretary must turn in a report by Oct. 1 to two legislative panels detailing a proposal to expand Medicaid coverage.