City Council moved by local and statewide support for innovative solution
ALBUQUERQUE—The Albuquerque City Council, after hearing from NM Together for Healthcare leaders from Albuquerque, passed a resolution today that supports the state’s commitment to exploring a proposal that would allow anyone to buy into a low-cost healthcare plan through Medicaid—including the uninsured who don’t qualify for Medicaid now.
“I support the Medicaid Buy-in because we all have the right to good health, and access to low-cost options will help many people,” said Evelyn Ramos, a Partnership for Community Action healthcare advocate and Albuquerque resident. “Since I am uninsured, I know how difficult it is to find healthcare coverage. When I do find services, I am given appointments months away.
I have daughters who get sick often, so it has helped my family to have them covered by Medicaid. But not everyone is eligible for Medicaid. We should open it up for everyone to access good healthcare.”
The Medicaid Buy-in plan has been gaining support around the state with the unanimous passage of similar resolutions by the All Pueblo Council of Governors and local governments, including the city of Sunland Park, the city of Anthony, Bernalillo County, and McKinley County. Medicaid Buy-in memorials passed with bipartisan support in the New Mexico House and Senate during the 2018 legislative session.
Medicaid is already a trusted, popular model that covers over 830,000 New Mexicans, including over 225,000 Bernalillo County residents. The plan would open up Medicaid for all New Mexican’s to buy into, providing low-cost coverage for the over 48,000 uninsured Bernalillo county residents. It would also provide affordable health insurance to individuals who are not eligible for Medicaid due to income or immigration status.
The plan could also help the economy by ensuring families have coverage to receive needed medical care before health conditions worsen, resulting in medical debt for families and uncompensated care costs for hospitals and providers.
“Without Medicaid, it would be extremely difficult for us to afford medical services for my daughters. We would probably go to the doctor in an emergency or when an illness has worsened,” said Ramos. “But undocumented people do not have access to Medicaid. It is important for us to find what we have in common—we all need good health.”
The Albuquerque City Council will share the resolution with state legislators and include this resolution in their legislative requests for the upcoming 2019 session.
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NM Together for Healthcare is a statewide, multiracial campaign of families and community organizations working together to strengthen healthcare access in New Mexico supported by Strong Families New Mexico, Partnership for Community Action, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, and Health Action New Mexico. For information, visit https://nmtogether4health.org/ or email: nmtogether4healthcare@gmail.com.
