State calling on New Mexicans to offer input on Medicaid income requirements

Aug. 12—If you have an internet or phone connection and two cents to share on a proposal that could massively expand Medicaid in New Mexico, ready your engines.

The state government is hosting a virtual meeting Tuesday evening to ask members of the public for their thoughts, questions and concerns about a proposed program called Medicaid Forward, which could drastically reduce the number of uninsured people living in the state.

Medicaid, the government-funded health insurance program for low-income patients, is most commonly available to people earning no more than 133% of the federal poverty limit, although there are certain exceptions. That comes to about $3,400 per month for a family four.

Medicaid Forward, which lawmakers last year asked state officials to study, could raise or potentially even eliminate that cap, setting premiums and copays on a sliding, income-based scale, said Heidi Capriotti, deputy director of the New Mexico Health Care Authority. The program wouldn't be available to New Mexicans ages 65 and older, who are already eligible for Medicare benefits.

"This could be an impactful program for a huge swath of people who make too much money for Medicaid but somehow don't have health coverage," Capriotti said.

The proposal is nowhere near set in stone, and any final version would rely on funding. Capriotti said she doesn't imagine it would look quite like Medicaid today, especially if Medicaid Forward has no income limits.

"I don't expect it would be free for everyone like it is today, if we went all the way, no income cap," she said. "How could we afford that? But there could be ways to make more health care options available to New Mexicans."

Tuesday's public meeting is part of the Health Care Authority's feasibility study, which is due to the state Legislative Finance Committee by Nov. 1, said agency spokeswoman Marina Piña.

New Mexico already has a high percentage of residents on Medicaid; as of June, nearly 874,200 people were enrolled, according to the Health Care Authority — about 41% of the population.

State leaders have made several additions and changes to the Medicaid program in recent months, including an expansion to an existing housing support program, a major shift in the way the state handles Medicaid for children in state custody and a proposal to streamline the process for getting back on health care benefits after a period in prison or jail.

Still, providers regularly complain of low reimbursement rates, and patients — those with or without Medicaid — often face long waits to see medical professionals.

Leaders of the state's four managed care organizations — insurance companies contracted to manage benefits for the majority of New Mexico Medicaid patients — pledged to continue to increase access to care in the state.

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