Legislative Session Starts Tomorrow!

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman.”

On this day, we start with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King spoke these words almost 55 years ago, on March 25, 1966, at the second convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Chicago. Unfortunately, as COVID-19 has made all too clear, injustice in health care access and health outcomes continues to be a huge problem. The Health Security Plan seeks to address this.

2021 Legislation: Health Security Planning and Design Board Act

These last few months, we’ve been working closely with Rep. Debbie Armstrong and Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino on the 2021 Health Security bill.

The Health Security Act will not be introduced this year; instead, the Health Security Planning and Design Board Act will begin the next phase of creating our own health plan that covers most New Mexicans. This legislation establishes a process to start developing the details of the Health Security Plan.

Rep. Debbie Armstrong, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, and Sen. Bobby Gonzales are the co-sponsors. The bill will start in the house and, once passed, will move on to the senate.

The bill is not quite finished, but Rep. Armstrong expects to be able to introduce it soon. We will, of course, let you know when the legislation is publicly available.

The Health Security Planning and Design Board Act will establish an 11-person board of experts whose sole role is to develop the most effective design for the many elements of the Health Security Plan. There are numerous issues to address that were not spelled out in the Health Security Act, such as how providers and health facilities will be paid, how the bulk purchasing of drugs program will function, and how the appeals process will work for consumers, providers, and health facilities.

The board will be transparent, seek public input, and have the authority to form advisory committees and hire consultants.

Roughly two years later, the Health Security Commission (the 15-member geographically representative body that will run the Health Security Plan) will take over and complete the design process. A cost analysis will then have to be performed of the plan as designed. (The legislature will have to approve legislation to create the Commission, as well as to enable the Plan to begin enrollment.)

NM Legislature Convenes Tomorrow

The 2021 legislative session begins Tuesday at noon. While much will be different this year, the underlying legislative process remains the same. Check out our legislative process flyer for some basics about the legislative process—and for some of what goes on behind the scenes.

In past years, you have mobilized to make your voices heard. You've called your legislators’ offices at the capitol or visited in person to talk to them. You've attend committee hearings in a show of support or stood up to testify on behalf of Health Security.

Because of the pandemic, we will have to use different ways, like email, to connect with our legislators in the next 60 days. Right now, personal letters to legislators are a powerful tool.

As the session progresses, we'll be giving you guidance on how to be most effective in contacting your legislators and how to testify (virtually) during committee hearings.

January Zoom Meetings

Join us this Thursday, January 7, 7:00-8:30 PM, for a Health Security Basics info session. This Zoom meeting provides an overview of the Health Security Plan and the 2021 legislation, with time for your questions.

What are the main components of the Health Security Plan? Who will be covered? What health care services will be covered? Get the basics—or refresh your memory—on Thursday. Register now.

More meetings!

Tuesday, January 12, 7:00-8:30 PM: Health Security Basics
An overview of the Health Security Plan and the 2021 bill, with time for your questions. (This is the same as the January 7 meeting above.)

Thursday, January 14, 7:00-8:30 PM: Health Security Q&A
An informal question-and-answer session on Health Security. Bring your questions!

And an upcoming training from the New Mexico Health Stories Project

Saturday, January 23, 12:00-1:00 PM: Let's Write! ... Our Health Care Stories: Putting a Human Face in Front of Our NM Legislators

Learn how to write and share your story about how you have been impacted by the current in-crisis healthcare system. The New Mexico Health Stories Project will guide you through a hands-on exercise.

The New Mexico Health Stories Project is a non-partisan initiative that works with the Campaign to support implementation of the Health Security Plan.

Time to Talk to Legislators!

2021 has FINALLY arrived—so let's make good things happen!

The legislative session begins in mid-January, and that means the next few weeks are a perfect time to contact your legislators about the 2021 Health Security Planning and Design bill,* which begins the important process of designing the NM Health Security Plan.

We’ve now had three studies on the Health Security Plan. While all these studies are different, they come to the same conclusion: the Health Security Plan will cost less and make sure all New Mexicans have health coverage. Now it’s time to develop the details of the Plan.

The 2021 Health Security Planning and Design bill starts that process. Letting your legislators know of your support for this bill is critical!

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* The 2021 bill is still being drafted. Legislation is written by bill drafters at the Legislative Council Service, following requests from legislators. Once a bill is introduced in the legislature, it also gets a bill number. We will share the bill with you as soon as it’s available!

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Action item 1: Send a postcard or letter

Our state legislators are getting tons of email. Using the US Postal Service to contact your legislators will really stand out!

Mail a personal postcard or letter that explains why you support the Health Security Plan and asks your senator and representative to support it too. If you and two or three of your friends in the same legislative district can do this at the same time, it will have an even greater impact.

What do you say in your letter? You don’t have to write a novel. In fact, your legislators will appreciate it a lot if you keep your message short! Personal messages and stories are always more powerful.

For inspiration, check out our short guide to writing to legislators. Our post about the 2021 legislation and our new mental health flyer are other good places to start.

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Action item 2: Zoom with your senator or representative

If you are able to get a group of 3 to 9 people together, we will work to set up a Zoom meeting with your legislators so you can talk to them about the need to support this year’s Health Security legislation.

Also, if your legislators are holding public meetings or participating in public forums, please attend and ask them to support the 2021 Health Security Planning and Design legislation. For instance, on January 23, five legislators representing northwestern Bernalillo County and southern Sandoval County are holding a legislative town hall via Facebook Live.

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Who are your legislators, anyway?

You have two legislators at the state level: one senator and one representative.

• Start by using the legislature’s Find Your Legislator tool to find out what senate and house districts you're in.

• Then go to our contact information for legislators to find your legislator's name and mailing address. The legislature’s Find Your Legislator tool was last updated in December 2020, for the special session. That means that legislators who were newly elected in November and will be sworn in on January 19 are not on the website yet.

Reminder: Only contact your own legislators, and make sure to let your legislators know that you live in their district.

Upcoming Legislative Session

Exciting News about Health Security and the 2021 Legislative Session

Senate Public Affairs Committee hearing on Health Security, Feb. 7, 2019

The legislative session will be upon us before we know it. The election has resulted in positive changes in the senate, and the opportunity to pass Health Security has come. But to finally achieve success, we need your help.

The 2019 legislature started the ball rolling when it appropriated close to $400,000 for an analysis of the economic feasibility of the Health Security Plan. So, at this point, there are three studies that confirm that Health Security will save hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars within its first five years of operation. The tragic experience with COVID-19 has exposed how much we need this well-thought-out plan.

Now the time has come to roll up our sleeves and create the critical design elements that must be in place prior to the start-up of the Plan. The legislation that is being introduced in 2021 specifies how this will be accomplished.

The bill will establish a process for developing the Health Security Plan – our plan – which will provide New Mexicans with guaranteed, secure, comprehensive coverage and freedom of choice of health care providers, and will, indeed, bend the rising health cost curve.

While the 2019 Health Security Act described guidelines to be followed when developing the Health Security Plan, there are many specific decisions that need to be made. For example, how providers and health facilities will be paid, how the bulk purchasing of drugs program will function, how the appeals system will work for consumers, providers, and health facilities, and many, many more.

The 2021 Health Security Planning and Design legislation requires a publicly accountable and transparent process through which the needed design decisions will be made and those provisions put in place so that enrollment can occur and providers can be paid. Public input will be sought, advisory committees will be created, and consultants will be hired during this critical process.

As part of our ongoing “Go-Slow Approach,” the bill will describe two critical steps to ensure the best possible outcomes.

• Step 1: Creation of a Health Security Planning and Design Board whose members will have various areas of expertise (health policy, management, finance, systems design, etc.). The board will be tasked with beginning to make decisions about key Health Security Plan design elements, following the guidelines described in the 2019 Health Security Act. The legislature will then be asked to approve Step 2.*

• Step 2: Creation of a geographically and demographically representative Health Security Plan Commission consisting of consumers, business owners, health care providers, and health facility representatives. This commission, which will be responsible for administering the Plan, will complete the final design elements, conduct a cost analysis of the Plan as designed, develop a funding system based on real numbers and, finally, seek legislative and executive approval so Plan enrollment can begin.*

It will take an estimated three to four years to work out all the details to make certain that the Health Security Plan will perform according to expectations. We know that is a long time, but a lot of careful planning and decisions need to be made to ensure that this innovative solution performs smoothly from the start.

* Note: Any major policy change such as the one proposed by Health Security will require legislative and executive input and ultimately approval to proceed.

A major step forward for universal health coverage reform

Passing this bill will make New Mexico the first state to invest in a publicly accountable and transparent process to create our own health plan that automatically provides comprehensive and secure coverage for the overwhelming majority of state residents (as permitted under the Affordable Care Act). Our plan that offers real choice – freedom of choice of providers, including across state lines (no more networks). Our plan that three studies have concluded will slow the increase of ever-escalating health care costs. Our plan that sets up its own fund – like a co-op – that will generate additional revenue beyond what is needed to pay claims and can be used to finance New Mexico health care infrastructure.

We have now reached a critical stage. More than ever, we need your active involvement so that Health Security will become a reality.

Please spread the word and, of course, contact your legislators and ask for their support.

Thank you!

Mental Health Care & Health Security

Because so many people have asked how the Health Security Plan will improve needed mental health care services for New Mexicans, Health Security supporters in the field have helped us put together a new mental health care flyer.

As you can see, Health Security has major benefits for mental health care in our state.

Please share the flyer with others who may be interested!

Election Results & Health Security

Lots of good news in New Mexico

This election has brought major changes to the state senate, and support for Health Security has unquestionably increased. New senate leadership, along with additional supportive senators, means that we finally have the opportunity to pass legislation that will create the Health Security Plan. In addition, strong support remains in the state house.

On the federal level, some challenges remain, but a Biden presidency is cause for optimism

Challenge #1. Conservatives now have a solid six-to-three majority on the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments on a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tomorrow. The Court’s decision will not be handed down until next spring. Click here for more about the impacts if the ACA is struck down.

Challenge #2. While the fate of the ACA is unknown, there is another harsh reality to face: in the event that the Republicans retain control of the US Senate, a divided Congress will make it unlikely that President Biden will be able to achieve any major health care reform.

Both of these challenges make it more urgent than ever for New Mexico to put in place its own solution to the ever-growing health care crisis.

A positive note: Not only does the 2021 New Mexico legislative session present us with the opportunity to finally move forward with Health Security, but a Biden presidency will make it much easier for our state to receive any federal waivers needed for setting up the Health Security Plan.

But as we learned during this election cycle, nothing can be taken for granted.

Your active support is critically important to ensure success this upcoming session.

Let us know if your group would like a Zoom presentation on Health Security. And please talk to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family about why all of us must let our legislators and the governor know that it is time for Health Security.

Thursday Q&A Series 7PM

Introducing our weekly online chat series:
Thursday evenings via Zoom, 7:00-8:00 PM

In the last several months, we've had presentations and workshops and regional strategy meetings. And for each one, we've had an agenda to follow and specific information we wanted to make sure to get across.

Now it's your turn to set the agenda. We'll be holding open-ended online meetings every Thursday evening for the remainder of the year.

Do you have questions? Someone from our staff will be available each Thursday to provide answers and share the latest information on Health Security.

In order to participate, you'll need to register in advance. Sign up for our email alerts or contact us at hsnmc.contact@gmail.com to get the registration link.

If you have friends who might be interested in learning more, please invite them!

Before you join a Q&A session, please refresh your memory of the basics so you know what questions you want to ask.

Positive Press!

This post shares an article by well-know New Mexico reporter Sherry Robinson. It appeared last week in the Carlsbad Current Argus, Ruidoso News, and Alamogordo Daily News. 

Scroll down for two other recent pieces on Health Security—and remember to visit our In the Media page for the latest news coverage.

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New stab at statewide public health insurance could be do-able, consultant says

By Sherry Robinson

Writing about healthcare coverage is always a dizzying experience, I find, but lately there’s some encouraging news. Recently a legislative committee heard an update on the proposed Health Security Act. Proponents say it would save billions and control rising costs while providing access and almost universal coverage.

Introduced in the 2019 legislative session, the Health Security Act offered a detailed, public healthcare plan, run by cooperatives, that would cover all New Mexicans. Plan members could choose their providers, even across state lines. Private, for-profit insurance would take a supplementary role. The ambitious bill, introduced by some Dem heavy hitters, called for fiscal analysis to determine potential costs, savings and coverage. If lawmakers and the administration found it feasible, it would be implemented.

The bills ran into resistance. Although it was presented as a study, it would “lay the ground work for a government-run healthcare system that would lead to the collapse of the private insurance market in New Mexico,” wrote the Association of Commerce and Industry. The group’s concern was that the bill wouldn’t receive enough study, “leaving New Mexico taxpayers with the surprise costs of covering government-run healthcare.”

Lawmakers passed House Memorial 92, which called for a fiscal analysis. KNG Health Consulting, of Maryland, assessed the five-year cost of the proposed plan and looked at whether the state’s revenue and potential savings would cover the cost.

KNG reported Sept. 4 to the interim Health and Human Services Committee. Costs are hard to pin down because of variables, like how generous the plan would be and in what circumstances, along with a host of unknowns, so the consultant used four scenarios. (This came after the consultant scared everyone with a $7 billion cost estimate.)

KNG concluded that the plan, to begin in 2024, would provide universal coverage and reduce the percentage of uninsured people to almost zero. Without reform, New Mexico healthcare costs are expected to rise by $2.1 billion between 2024 and 2028, but over five years, the plan could reduce state spending between $1.6 billion and $2.7 billion, depending on the scenario. It would reduce healthcare costs substantially under all scenarios. Existing revenue could fund the plan under some scenarios; in others, there could be a funding shortfall, although the shortfalls decrease each year. One scenario predicts a funding surplus.

How does it reduce costs? The plan would reduce administrative costs by merging Medicaid, state employees, and health insurance exchange programs. It would buy medicines in bulk. It would simplify billings and stabilize revenues for hospitals. The consultant also predicted the plan would reduce workers’ compensation and car insurance premiums. A focus on prevention would result in a healthier population.

During the committee hearing, legislators asked about the impact on private insurers and on small business.

Mary Feldblum, executive director of the Health Security for New Mexicans campaign, said that private insurers opposed Medicare in 1965 because they feared it would put them out of business but then found new roles in offering supplementary insurance.

She said that employers who currently don’t provide coverage would have an increased expense for paying into the plan, but employers who do already provide coverage would see a reduced cost for coverage.

Rep. Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, called the plan a good start while noting the many unknowns and the sheer scale of the plan. If the assumptions are incorrect, she said, the result could be catastrophic.

But Feldblum sees the current path as fraught with hazards -- rising out-of-pocket costs, escalating drug prices, beleaguered hospitals, frustrated providers who spend more time on a computer than with patients, and employers who can’t afford to protect employees. Add to that around 200,000 New Mexicans who still lack coverage.

Maybe the Health Security Act doesn’t have all the answers just yet, but we’ve got to start somewhere.  

Reproduced with permission from the author.

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More Health Security News

“Never has [the Health Security Act] been more needed - socially, economically, and morally.”

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"After reading Davena Norris’s letter in the June edition of D.E., I was inspired to write this letter of support for the NM Health Security Act from a small-business point of view."

(Click on the Desert Exposure image and go to p. 4.)

What the Final Fiscal Analysis Report Tells Us

What KNG’s Final Report Tells Us

KNG Health Consulting’s Final Report on its fiscal analysis of the Health Security Plan confirms what two prior New Mexico studies demonstrated: that the Health Security Plan guarantees universal health care coverage and controls rising health care costs.

As you know, the state’s Legislative Finance Committee hired KNG to determine whether the Health Security Plan’s estimated revenue will pay for its costs, assuming a 2024 start date. Because there are so many variables and unknowns, KNG was asked to develop several possible options, or scenarios. In its final report, KNG created four scenarios.

Top 4 Takeaways from the Final Report

1. The Health Security Plan leads to universal coverage.

KNG found that the Health Security Plan “would create near-universal coverage in the state,” reducing the percentage of uninsured to near zero. (KNG Final Report, p. 45)

2. The Health Security Plan costs less than the current system.

The report states: “Over our five-year projection window, the HSP [Health Security Plan] is projected to reduce health care spending in the state” (KNG Final Report, p. 48), with savings over the five-year period estimated at $1.6 billion to $2.7 billion, depending on the scenario.

3. The Health Security Plan controls rising health care costs.

KNG's data shows that the growth rate for health care costs would be substantially less under all four Health Security scenarios than what is projected under the current system. (Even in countries with universal coverage, health care costs are expected to continue to increase each year.)

4. “In some scenarios, the HSP [Health Security Plan] may be funded through existing revenue, while in other cases there may be a funding shortfall.” (KNG Final Report, p. vii)

In fact, the fourth scenario produces a funding surplus. It provides a clear pathway to a viable funding approach. In the other three scenarios, the shortfalls decrease each year. (New programs generally cost more at the beginning, so this is not surprising.)

Reasons why, according to KNG, the Health Security Plan reduces rising health care costs:

• Reduced administrative costs for the state when merging Medicaid, state employees, and the health insurance exchange programs into the Health Security Plan

• Lower drug costs through bulk purchasing

• Billing and insurance administrative cost reductions for hospitals and providers

• Stable revenues for hospitals through global budgets, enabling them to invest in better systems of care

Additional positive impacts noted by KNG but not included in the four scenario estimates:

• Lower workers compensation and automobile insurance premiums – a boon to businesses, employees, and consumers

• More jobs due to direct health care spending (more medical providers) and indirect health care spending (suppliers of goods and services to providers)

• Over a 10-year period, the Health Security Plan, which focuses on prevention and patient-centered care, will result in a healthier population and increased productivity

Clearly, the Health Security Plan is worth investing in! As KNG found, the Health Security Plan will cost less than the current system and ensure that everyone in New Mexico has health care coverage.

Let’s get the setup phase going as soon as possible—in 2021!

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Presentation this Friday on KNG’s Final Report

At 3:00 PM on Friday, September 4, KNG Health Consulting president Lane Koenig will present on KNG’s Final Report in front of the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee. Our executive director, Mary Feldblum, will speak afterward. (Click on the agenda to see a larger version.)

Watch the webcast of the meeting by clicking on the video icon on the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee's meeting page.

Meeting Virtually Across the State

Regional Health Security Act Strategy Meetings

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in our state, the need for Health Security has never been clearer. New Mexicans deserve health care that is affordable, and coverage that stays with them when they need it most.

While it may seem like a long time until the legislature reconvenes in January, now is the time to prepare for getting the Health Security Act passed in 2021.

We’ve scheduled four regional strategy meetings this summer, and Health Security supporters in the southern part of the state gathered last Saturday to get the ball rolling.

Our southern New Mexico meeting gets started.

The meeting was a big success—the screenshot about shows just a few of those who attended. We spent much of our time in small breakout groups, and participants came up with great ideas to gain more support for the Health Security Act in their communities and among their legislators. Everyone left with action items, and with plans to regroup in the next few weeks. 

To find out more about meetings like these, sign up to receive our emails.

Retake Our Democracy Hosts Two Health Security Events

Update: To access recordings of these events, visit our In the Media page.

Radio Show on July 4; Panel Discussion on July 7

Campaign member organization Retake Our Democracy is planning two Health Security events.

• Saturday, July 4, 8:30 AM

Paul Gibson of Retake Our Democracy will be interviewing our executive director, Mary Feldblum. You can tune in at KSFR 101.1 FM (Santa Fe Public Radio) or listen online.

• Tuesday, July 7, 6:30-8:00 PM

Retake Our Democracy will be hosting a panel discussion with Mary Feldblum (Health Security Campaign executive director), Tyler Taylor, MD (Health Security Campaign board member), and Shelley Mann-Lev, MPH (NM Public Health Association board member). You must pre-register to join the Zoom session.

Retake Our Democracy works on a variety of important issues affecting the people of our state, and we appreciate their commitment to Health Security. Retake's Tuesday post — Why We Need the Health Security Act In NM: Yesterday! — is definitely worth a read!

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Upcoming Events and an Expanding Coalition

Health Security Act Workshops & Meetings

We've now held two successful bill workshops via Zoom (agenda on the right!), and we enjoyed putting faces to names and hearing participants' questions and ideas.

We plan to hold more bill workshops this summer and fall, with our next one tentatively scheduled for August 1.

A New Member for Our Coalition

A big welcome to Rio Grande Farmers' Coalition, our newest member organization!

If your organization would like to learn more about the Health Security Plan, please email us so we can set up a presentation to your group.

Major Flaws in KNG's Preliminary Fiscal Analysis

Our Take on the Preliminary Fiscal Analysis of the Health Security Plan

In late May, we noted that a preliminary report on the Health Security Plan fiscal analysis had been completed by KNG Health Consulting and that we were working hard on requested feedback.

Our comments have now been submitted to the NM Legislative Finance Committee, which is overseeing the fiscal analysis. A press release was also issued this morning.

What did we find?

Basically, KNG concludes that although the Health Security Plan would cost less than the current system—and would result in fewer than 1% of NM residents remaining uninsured—there would not be enough money to pay for it. In fact, they project a $7 billion “funding shortfall” under Health Security.

OK — Have a cup of coffee, and keep reading . . .

However, by KNG’s own projections, over the first 5 years, the Health Security Plan saves over $16 billion compared to the current system . 

As Campaign chair Max Bartlett puts it: “How is it possible that the Health Security Plan costs less but is not affordable? This calls into questions KNG’s assumptions, methodology, and conclusions.’’

First: To begin with, there is a $3 billion unexplained discrepancy in the report regarding health care spending under the Health Security Plan. One table shows the cost of the Health Security Plan in 2024 (the first year of implementation) at $9.259 billion , while the other puts it at $12.317 billion, a discrepancy that amounts to up to one third of the projected cost of the program. The underlying data behind these numbers is not clear, and there are all too many other inconsistencies in the figures KNG provides.

The conclusions presented in the report’s Executive Summary rely exclusively on the lower $9.259 billion number, which is quite a difference from the $12.113 billion that KNG projects we will spend in New Mexico on health care in 2024 if we do not implement the Health Security Plan .

Chart created by the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign, based on KNG data.

Let's keep in mind that two previous studies, Lewin (1994) and Mathematica (2007), also found that Health Security would cost less than the current system. And not only did they determine that it would be less expensive, they found it would be affordable. 

Second: Determining affordability depends on more than just the cost of the Health Security Plan. Revenue is the other half of the equation. Here, we found revenue projections that lack data as well as explanations—along with an overall lack of transparency regarding how the projections were calculated.

Tyler Taylor, MD, who sits on our board, spent considerable time reviewing the federal funding that is available to help pay for the Health Security Plan. Based on public information, he identified federal revenues that total $6.8 billion more than what is reflected in KNG’s report.

We all want a final report that is accurate, unbiased, and high-quality. KNG has our feedback, and we hope that they will be able to make some major corrections, provide us with clear justifications for their assumptions, and produce substantiated conclusions.