Editor,
For the first time in 75 years, the citizens of the United States and New Mexico are guaranteed security and stability in health care coverage. A solid foundation has been laid on which we can carefully build a health care system that uses competition to control costs and that will work for our families and our children’s families.
Insurance companies will no longer be able to undermine health coverage. This is the end of the worst practices of the insurance industry — no more denials due to pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage for people who get sick. No longer will people go bankrupt because of illness or hidden ceilings on coverage.
Members of Congress will be required to be in the same plans as millions of Americans and small businesses.
The good parts of our health care system have been kept, and oversight of insurance has been introduced for companies and their practices, controlling insurance rate increases, ensuring choice of plan and doctor, increasing competition in the health marketplace and expanding prevention and wellness programs.
Medicare will be strengthened — reform will cut waste and fraud in Medicare, add almost a decade of solvency and close the gap in prescription drug coverage lowering costs for seniors.
Small businesses will be able to hire employees aided by tax credits that make health insurance more affordable and will allow these small businesses to band together and get better prices.
There will be access to affordable health care for individuals and small businesses that cannot afford insurance. About 3.5 million small businesses and 31 million Americans will now be able to buy affordable insurance.
According to the U.S. House Committee on Commerce and Energy, in New Mexico, the health care reform bill will:
Improve coverage for 987,000 New Mexicans who have health insurance.
Give tax credits and other assistance to 520,000 families and 40,400 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
Improve Medicare for 296,000 older adults including closing the donut hole.
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Extend coverage to 273,000 uninsured New Mexicans.
Guarantee coverage to 511,700 residents with pre-existing conditions.
Allow 165,000 young adults in New Mexico health coverage.
Protect 2,200 New Mexican families from bankruptcy due to health expenses.
Provide millions of dollars in new funding to 129 community health centers in New Mexico.
New Mexico legislators in the 2010 regular session passed Senate Joint Memorial 1 which sets up a governmental and quasi-governmental working group under the convening of the superintendent of insurance to begin meeting this month to make recommendations to the governor and legislature on the best ways for New Mexico to implement federal reform at the state level.
We are a better America and a better New Mexico today. Health Action New Mexico salutes Rep. Martin Heinrich and Ben Lujan for their vote on this historic legislation.
Health Action New Mexico is a nonprofit health consumer advocacy organization that has been working for affordable, accountable health care for all New Mexicans for 15 years. In 2009, the board of HANM committed the agency to work on educating the public about federal health reform. Beginning in May, 2010, HANM will hold community forums around the state to inform people about the changes they can anticipate under the new legislation.
