State HSD extends family planning benefits [Albuquerque Journal, N.M.]

Nov. 09--The Human Services Department, in a course reversal, said Friday that it won't make changes to a Medicaid-funded family planning program until at least July so that services aren't interrupted.

Legislators were told this week that thousands could experience at least a gap in their contraceptive and reproductive screening coverage as of Jan. 1 because of HSD's plan to tighten eligibility for the program.

Program participants no longer eligible would be expected to obtain insurance with family planning coverage through the federal health care exchange established under the Affordable Care Act.

The federal exchange, however, has been overwhelmed and problem-plagued.

"We are committed to ensuring that those receiving family planning benefits through Medicaid do not experience a loss of services during the transition to the troubled ACA health exchange," HSD spokesman Matt Kennicott said in a statement. "For that reason, we will allow for an extension of benefits to allow them time to transition."

That extension would last at least six months, he said.

The program provides birth control and other family planning services to about 50,000 uninsured New Mexicans, although it doesn't make them eligible for broader Medicaid coverage. The HSD says about 10,000 of them would be affected by the planned change.

Under the change, participants would be eligible if their incomes did not exceed 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $1,285 monthly. Currently, participants' incomes have to be less than 235 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $2,188 a month.

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