Editor,
If the New Mexico Legislature decides to raise the minimum wage for tens of thousands of New Mexicans, this may well turn out to be the most important public health improvement measure ever attempted in this state.
The reason is quite simple - poverty is a health issue as much as it is an issue of economics and social justice. Public health scientists have understood the connection between poverty and poor health for almost two centuries. Population groups that suffer the worst health status are those that have the highest poverty rates. To put it simply: The poor are sicker and die younger than the rich.
One recent health study found that men in the United States with family incomes in the top 5 percent had a 25 percent longer life than did those in the bottom 5 percent. People with low incomes have higher rates of heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, obesity and low-weight births than do those who are better off financially.
How can this link between health status and income be explained? The most widely accepted explanation is that workers who receive higher wages are in a better position to eat healthier foods, to engage in healthier activities and behaviors, afford good housing and live in safer and less environmentally-degraded neighborhoods with better schools for their children.
Higher wages also mean that more workers can afford medical care. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that one in four women under 65 and two-thirds of uninsured women delayed or went without care in the past year because they could not afford it. In addition, 20 percent of women 18 years and older say they did not fill a prescription in the past year because of cost. Too many New Mexicans are forced to choose between paying their rent and buying their medicines.
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For those who are fortunate enough to have employers who offer health insurance, higher wages mean the ability to afford the premiums, deductibles and co-pays that go along with private health insurance. Having health insurance is not a luxury - it is often a matter of life or death.
The Institute of Medicine reported that about 18,000 unnecessary deaths occur each year in America because of lack of health insurance. The uninsured must rely on publicly-funded insurance - Medicaid covers most pregnancies and a large proportion of children in New Mexico - and receive what care they do get in publicly-funded emergency rooms, clinics and hospitals. A majority of the uninsured in New Mexico are full-time workers and their families.
Getting more New Mexicans insured has been one of Gov. Richardson's top priorities. During his administration, he has supported bills that expand access to quality, affordable health insurance for part-time employees, children, unmarried dependents and individuals who earn low incomes. This year, he's proposing that all children, age birth to five, will have health insurance.
We taxpayers are, in effect, subsidizing those employers who do not provide affordable health care that forces their employees onto publicly-financed health care systems. Higher wages will enable more workers to afford their insurance premiums and some public dollars will be saved that are now being spent on indigent care.
Poverty is unhealthy - reducing economic inequality is a public health priority. While we cannot predict which individuals will experience improved health from receiving an increased wage, we can reasonably predict that over time, a higher standard of living will result in a better health status for many New Mexican workers and their families.
In 2004, under Gov. Richardson's leadership, New Mexico finally eliminated the tax on food. This tax cut saves working families hundreds of dollars a year. A fair wage, created by an increase in the minimum wage, is a next step toward creating a healthier New Mexico.
The hardworking people who build our homes, care for our children, harvest our crops, check out our groceries, feed us in restaurants and clean our offices are entitled to both decent wages and a healthier life for themselves and their families.
Bruce Trigg, M.D.
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