Democracy for New Mexico

Health Reformers to Guv Martinez: Don’t Whiff on Great Opportunity to Create Health Insurance Exchange This Session

Health-reform advocates today called on Governor Martinez to allow Sen. George Munoz’s health insurance exchange legislation to be debated this legislative session.

Munoz’s Senate Bill 278 can be found here.

A health insurance exchange is a competitive health-care marketplace where the uninsured, underinsured and people in the individual and small-group market will be able to buy affordable health coverage under the nation’s health-reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

Each state has been tasked under the law with creating their own version of an exchange. If a state fails to create an exchange, the federal government will create one for it. In New Mexico, Governor Martinez appears to be opting to bypass the Legislature and create an exchange via Executive Order.

“What is potentially troubling here is that the Governor’s early plans for an exchange give insurance company representatives a prominent role in governing the exchange and setting rates,” said Barbara K. Webber, Executive Director of Health Action New Mexico. “I can think of no situation where putting an industry in charge of setting its own rates would benefit consumers and working-class New Mexicans. It would be like the fox guarding the henhouse.”

Health-reform advocates support more health-consumer voices on the exchange and see Munoz’s bill as an excellent opportunity to have a discussion about the exchange and give the public a voice in the debate about how the exchange is structured.

“We are simply asking for Senator Munoz’s bill to be allowed to be heard,” Webber said. “All New Mexicans will be better off if the exchange is created through an open Legislative process rather than behind closed doors via Executive Order. The public deserves a debate on this important issue that will impact tens of thousands of New Mexicans.”

Health-reform advocates are asking the members of the public to call Governor Martinez at 505-476-2200 and ask her to allow the Health Insurance Exchange issue to be heard this legislative session, which ends Feb. 16.

Medicaid Action Day at Our Roundhouse

 
Above are photos of medicaid recipients speaking with Sen. Morales

"More than 70 Medicaid advocates today visited the Legislature and Governor’s office, asking policymakers to protect this vital health-care program that serves more than 550,000 New Mexicans, many of whom are children.

Many of the advocates at today’s Medicaid Lobby Day at the Roundhouse are recipients of the health program designed to cover the poor.

Advocates and recipients are concerned about Governor Martinez’s plan to redesign Medicaid, fearing the governor will push to implement co-pays, which will hurt working families.

The photo below is a meeting held at the Governors office to discuss their concerns.

“Too many New Mexico families are in the impossible position of choosing between food and rent or food and electricity,” said Roqui Jones, a Medicaid supporter. “To add Medicaid co-pays onto this burden would be disastrous as people work to lift their families out of poverty and create better lives for their kids.”

Medicaid Lobby Day was sponsored by several New Mexico organizations representing thousands of New Mexico Medicaid recipients. These include: OLE New Mexico, New Mexico Alliance for Retired Americans, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, Know Your Care New Mexico, LULAC, NM CIR/SEIU, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless and Mi Via Moving Forward."

Study Confirms What New Mexicans Have Known for Years - Most Medical Research on Chimpanzees is Unnecessary

Meet Flo

Flo is 54 years old and is one of 170 chimps still at the Alamogordo Primate Facility. Her medical history dates back to 1972, see this link for an Overview of Flo's Medical Records. She was anesthetized for blood draws countless times, she had four babies all taken from her right away so they could be used for other often needless research, and she had several escape attempts during one of which she was shot.

On December 15, 2011 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report: Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Assessing the Necessity. to read the IOM summary and report follow this link. Our NM Senators who were leading the charge for the chimps retirement and the people speaking out against more research for chimps like Flo, followed up with a letter to the NIH requesting the report be adhered to, DFNM has a separate post of the Senator's statements regarding the report.

Guest Blog from Laura Bonar:

Following is a guest blog from Laura Bonar, Program Director of Animal Protection of New Mexico(APNM). APNM and Laura were instrumental in getting the Alamagordo chimps a repreive from more hedious testing. APNM sees more lies and falsehoods within the NIH document released in response to the report from IOM,  Download Chimp Study Reveals NIH Deception.

For nearly two decades, Animal Protection of New Mexico has been working to protect New Mexico's chimpanzees, our closest genetic relatives, from abuse in government-funded research. Last year's announcement that the federal government wanted to force 200 sick, ailing chimps into more testing and put an end to jobs in our state prompted a massive public outcry. The Institute of Medicine's chimp study results, actions from our elected leaders, and agency response show that when people commit to work together, we can accomplish meaningful change!

Finally, an independent study confirms what New Mexicans have known for years: most medical research on chimpanzees is unnecessary, and there is little to no relevance for chimps in research in this day and age. The National Institutes of Health has suspended funding for all future chimp research projects and will reevaluate all current funding.

We cannot rest until 54-year-old Flo and her colleagues are permanently retired and wasteful spending on cruel, ineffective research is ended. Thank you especially to Senator Tom Udall for leading the request for an independent study on the need for chimp research and for this week signing on to cosponsor the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act! Senator Jeff Bingaman supported these efforts and joined with Senator Udall to urge the NIH to adopt report recommendations and protect New Mexico's chimps from further harm. Congressman Martin Heinrich sponsored the bill even before tremendous public outcry and was a consistent and outspoken champion, and Congressman Ben Ray Luján spoke out in 2010 and cosponsored legislation in 2011. Without the diplomacy and commitment of Governor Bill Richardson to stand up to the National Institutes of Health in 2010, this historic moment would not have been possible.

But this stepping stone for chimps and effective medical research is truly a people's victory. Public support should bring political support, God bless the optimists among us who won't give up even in bleak times!

Other Good Coverage

Here is a good article and video summarizing the years long effort of saving the chimps by our local KRQE.

And on a national level an article in Discover Magazine. A wonderful realization is stated in the Discover Mag article: "The recommendation is a reflection of our growing realization that chimps may be capable of self-awareness, empathy, grief, and happiness, and may possess basic morality as well as a culture; Brandon Keim, who has covered chimp research extensively for Wired, notes that some scientists have begun to think they should qualify as nonhuman people. Subjecting them to disease, pain, and psychological trauma in the service of research thus has grown to seem ethically dubious, especially after it was revealed that the NIH planned to send 209 chimps who had been allowed to retire from medical research back into the lab and that an NIH division had illegally bred captive chimpanzees." DFNM suggests following many of these links they are very interesting and informative.

NM-1: Nurses Union Endorses Eric Griego for Congress

New endorsement information from the Eric Griego for Congress campaign:

Today, Democrat Eric Griego (NM-1) announced his endorsement by the District 1199NM National Union Hospital and Healthcare Employees union’s executive board.

The union’s president Fonda Osborn cited Griego’s “long history of advocating for labor and working families” for endorsing him.

As State Senator and former Albuquerque City Councilor, Griego has fought tirelessly to protect Medicaid and improve healthcare for seniors and working families.  Griego has made protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid a centerpiece of his congressional campaign.

“I’m proud that nurses and other healthcare workers are standing with me to fight for better patient care,” Griego said.  “I look forward to continuing to fight for better healthcare for seniors, children and working families as New Mexico’s next U.S. representative.”

About Eric Griego: Eric Griego is running in the open seat for New Mexico’s First Congressional District.  He is leading the Democratic field in the total number of local and national political endorsements, money raised, and total number of contributors with more than 12,000 donors.  As a State Senator and former Albuquerque City Councilor, he has earned a reputation as a bold progressive champion for working families, seniors and children.

Griego has built a broad Democratic coalition with strong labor, environmental and grassroots support.  He is endorsed by groups such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, MoveOn.org Political Action, the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, AFSCME, Teamsters, and numerous other local and national progressive leaders and organizations.

More information about his campaign can be found on his website: www.griegoforcongress.com.

Guest Blog for World Aids Day: Why Medicaid Matters in the Fight Against HIV

This is a Guest Blog provided by Jacob Candelaria: A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jacob Candelaria is a graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and the current President/CEO of Equality New Mexico and the Equality New Mexico Foundation.

Since the onset of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, 60 million people have been infected and over 25 million have died. This is a disease that recognizes no national borders, nor race, gender, age, religion or socio-economic status. HIV/AIDS is and remains a global problem, and one that continues to seriously impact the health of New Mexico communities and families.

In New Mexico, the State Department of Health estimates that in 2009 over 1,300 people were living with HIV, and an additional 2,000 were living with AIDS. In that same year, 152 New Mexicans were newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

On this World Aids Day, we take the time as a community to remember those who have died, seek to empower those who live with the disease, raise awareness, and support those individuals and organizations that actively search for a cure.

To be sure, Medicaid deserves our thanks for the role it plays in the fight against HIV, the virus that, if left untreated, leads to the development of AIDS. As a primary source of healthcare coverage for those with HIV, it is critical that Medicaid remain fully funded at the state level and that an expanded Medicaid program, as required by federal health care reform, be as accessible as possible to those struggling with HIV who will become newly eligible for Medicaid coverage in 2014.

Major Source of Coverage

Medicaid is a federal-state program that provides health insurance coverage to low-income children.  While poor kids comprise nearly two-thirds of those enrolled in Medicaid, the program is also an important source of coverage for a smaller number of very poor and medically needy adults.

Across the United States and in New Mexico specifically, Medicaid is the primary source of health insurance coverage for HIV patients. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 47% of all HIV patients with health care coverage get it through state Medicaid programs. Health insurance matters because having consistent and uninterrupted access to affordable, comprehensive medical services (especially anti-retroviral drugs that are essential to staving off disability and death) is critical to managing the disease and thereby sustaining both quality of life and indeed life itself.

The sad reality of current Medicaid rules, however, is that they generally require  an adult with HIV to be very poor and very sick before they can qualify for assistance. This is because most adults with HIV qualify for Medicaid by virtue of being “medically fragile” or “disabled." Or, in other words, they are at a point where the disease has made it nearly impossible for them to work or live independently.

From a public health perspective, this just doesn’t make sense as we are essentially telling those with HIV who can’t afford private health insurance that they must let their disease get worse before they can access the healthcare they need through Medicaid.

Expanding Coverage for those with HIV through Federal Healthcare Reform

Beginning in 2014, all individuals under the age of 65 that are below 133% of the federal poverty line will qualify for Medicaid coverage. For a family of four, this means earning less than $29,726 per year. This expansion is expected to provide healthcare coverage to an additional 22 million low-income Americans, including over 200,000 working New Mexicans.

The Medicaid expansion will also extend coverage to many with HIV, particularly those who are not yet disabled. By determining Medicaid eligibility solely on the basis of income, federal healthcare reform will provide many struggling with HIV the opportunity to secure healthcare coverage without having to wait until they become very sick and disabled.

Moving forward, state policy makers charged with implementing federal healthcare reform should keep in mind the important role that Medicaid plays in the fight against HIV and ensure that all people that are newly eligible for Medicaid are able to access the medical services they require.

For Medicaid to continue as an important source of coverage for those with HIV, the state needs to make the right decisions, not only when it comes to rules and regulations that determine what medical services those with HIV receive, but also by guaranteeing that Medicaid is fully funded at the state level.

12/01: Public Lecture - Moving from Science to Policy and Practice: Building Healthier Communities based on Human Rights

Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:00 PM
National Hispanic Cultural Center (Bank of America Auditorium) - 1701 4th Street SW

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy and the UNM Public Health Program presents the 2011 Fall Lecture Series on Health and Human Rights. Dr. Brian Smedley, Vice-President and Director of the Health Policy Institute of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington DC, will speak on Moving from Science to Policy and Practice: Building Healthier Communities based on Human Rights.

Seating is limited. Please plan to arrive early.

Dr. Smedley served as Study Director for the Institute of Medicine reports, In the Nation’s Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce and Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. In 2004 he was honored by the Rainbow/PUSH coalition as a “Health Trailblazer” award winner; in 2002 he was awarded the Congressional Black Caucus “Healthcare Hero” award.

Medicaid Townhall Fights Gov. Martinez's Tax on Working People

A packed room of Medicaid recipients and advocates, fighting Governor Martinez's proposed tax on Medicaid recipients showed up last Wednesday night to speak out over her plans.

  

The video above was provided by OLE NM. Thanks OLE for sharing this well attended event. The young man shown in the video still above is my favorite part of the whole video.

And this press release below was provided by NM Alliance of Retired Americans: 

On Wednesday, November 9, concerned retirees and seniors in Albuquerque joined forces with other vulnerable communities at a Medicaid Community Meeting at 6 pm at the UNM Continuing Education Building to tell Gov. Martinez not to cut Medicaid benefits, nor raise co-payments or premiums, as she plans it’s re-design in the face of threats from Washington's Supercommittee to consider cuts to Medicaid, Medicare & Social Security this Fall.

Federal and statewide pressure to balance existing budget shortfalls have led some to conclude that our state’s seniors can afford to live with less access to medical care and economic security in order to preserve corporate loopholes and tax breaks that have created the growing income inequalities that are now threatening the fabric of our society.

In August, President Obama signed a Budget Control Act that established the Super Committee, a bipartisan Congressional committee charged with identifying $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction that could include Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security cuts. The Super Committee, made up of 6 Democrats & 6 Republicans, will report to Congress by late November. If a majority of the committee members reach agreement on a $1.5 trillion deficit-reduction plan, it will get an up-or-down majority vote by late December. There can be no Senate filibusters.

Some members of the Super Committee have narrowly targeted cuts to Medicaid, Medicare & Social Security, with scarce attention to the consequences this would have on seniors of today and tomorrow.  Cuts to Medicaid could reduce access to care for 35,000 New Mexican seniors in nursing homes and 60,000 New Mexicans who live with a disability.  Cuts to Medicare could jeopardize preventive & specialty medical care that serves nearly 300,000 New Mexican elders. Without their monthly Social Security check, over 100,000 New Mexican seniors would fall below the poverty line.

Bernice Romero, a retired phone company worker from Albuquerque, reminds us how far our promises to seniors have fallen in these hard times.  “Labor union retirees who have worked very hard jobs for deferred security in their old age are now counting on Medicaid to get basic access to the doctor, thanks to recent insurance premium hikes of up to 1000% in New Mexico.  How will our people live if we raise Medicaid co-payments or cut their benefits?”

25 NM Health Centers to Share in $42 Million National Grant to Improve Care

Yesterday, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced it would be granting approximately $42 million over three years to 500 community health centers in 44 states across the country. This will mean a dramatic improvement in coordination and quality of care to seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare in New Mexico, according to a statement released by Know Your Care. Twenty-five New Mexico community health centers in 23 communities will share in the grants.

As part of the Advanced Primary Care Practice demonstration established by the Affordable Care Act, community health centers will be funded by Medicare based on the quality of care delivered. Medicare enrollees and people with disabilities will benefit especially with this system set up to reward clinics for helping their patients manage their chronic conditions. Centers will also be able to handle more same-day appointments, help those with urgent care needs, and expand their hours.

New Mexicans enrolled in traditional Medicare will have 25 community health clinics that could one day serve as advanced primary care centers, based on results from the demonstration. Through October 31, 2014, these health centers will be paid a monthly fee for each eligible person with Medicare who receives primary care services.

An independent evaluation will be conducted by the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to determine whether the project helped decrease hospital admission rates and emergency department visits, as well as its cost-effectiveness.

Community based health centers in these New Mexico communities are funded under the announced grant:  Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Artesia, Bayard, Belen, Carlsbad, Cloudcroft, Clovis, Cuba, Deming, Edgewood, Espanola, Gallup, Grants, Hatch, Las Vegas, Lordsburg, Los Lunas, Questa, Rio Rancho, Roswell, Silver City and Socorro.

A full list of community health centers sharing these grants, including those in New Mexico, is available online here from CMS.

Honoring National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Metro Source Janitorial & Maid Service Gives Back to Women with Cancer

If you’re undergoing cancer treatment, you now have one less thing to worry about. Metro Source Maids & Janitorial LLC, an Albuquerque cleaning service, says it will will clean your home for free. The local cleaning service is the first and only company in New Mexico to offer this service to both men and women undergoing cancer treatment. 

Metro Source Janitorial & Maid Service, says it's proud to announce its partnership with Cleaning for a Reason, the nation’s first non-profit organization dedicated to providing free house cleaning services for women undergoing cancer treatment. It's one way to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“Dealing with cancer is difficult enough,” says Andres Griego, founder and owner of Metro Source, who speaks from personal experience following his uncle, aunt’s and great grandparents’ struggle with cancer. He is well aware of the challenges and struggles that a person with cancer is likely to face day to day. Recent customer tragedies have also highlighted the need to help others in the community. “We have been helping customers with cancer on our own, but as we continue to grow and expand, we want to give a little more back to the community in some meaningful way” explains Andres Griego.

“We’re trying to get our service to the client at a time of their life when their energy is gone or they can’t move much because of surgeries. Knowing we can help families during trying times is profoundly gratifying.” says Andres Griego, owner and operator of the local Metro Source Janitorial and Maid Service. 

As an affiliate of Cleaning for a Reason, Metro Source Janitorial & Maid Service will provide four free household cleaning visits to eligible women. Those qualifying for the program must provide proof they are undergoing treatment for cancer. Griego explained, “We will provide free maid service to patients who reside in the Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Valencia County areas.” 

“Our employees are always volunteering to do this because it is so rewarding,” Griego said. “It feels good as a business owner to allow your employees to help others.” 

Inquiries can be directed to the Cleaning for a Reason headquarters in Lewisville, Texas, at 877-337-3348. Additional information and online applications are available at www.cleaningforareason.org. You can also contact Metro Source Janitorial and Maid Service at 505-203-6518 or visit their website at www.MetroSourceNow.com

NM Blue Cross Denied Another Rate Increase Just Days After Public Outcry

Petition delivery and press conference

Another victory for the people, thanks to the hard work of some dedicated health care advocates and your support of their petition! Less than a week after a coalition of health care advocates delivered the petition signatures of 1,500 New Mexicans calling for Blue Cross Blue Shield to withdraw its latest health insurance rate hike, the company learned that the increase was denied. 

According to a story in this morning's Santa Fe New Mexican, the company failed to support the rate hike in its application to the State Insurance Superintendent.

Franchini said he denied the 9.9 percent rate increase late last week, making the decision "with the assistance of our actuary and consulting actuaries."

... Franchini said he denied the request because "we felt like the company didn't support the medical trend in their rate request." 

The proposed hike, the second in less than a year, would have increased health insurance premiums another 9.9% on some 27,000 small business and individual policy holders whose premiums increased 21% earlier this year.

A coalition of health care advocates, led by Health Action New Mexico, Know Your Care New Mexico and the New Mexico Alliance of Retired Americans, delivered a petition carrying more than 1,500 signatures to the company during a news conference on Friday at the BCBS New Mexico headquarters. The success of the effort was applauded by those who would have had to cough up more money on premiums that had already been jacked up recently.

"Wow," said Ed Oppenheimer, a Blue Cross Blue Shield policyholder who would have been affected by the increase. "I'm very thankful that someone has had the sense to put a brake on this because this is not a good time [for a rate increase]. I'm amazed." 

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican article, Superintendent John Franchini and his team are working hard to set up the state's new consumer-friendly rate review process, which goes into effect in January 2012. The new process, mandated by the new Affordable Care Act, requires companies to publicly disclose the cost of providing services and to hold public hearings before any new rate increase can be approved. There is currently no provision for public input.

10/1: Join AFGE Rally at Tiguex Park to Support Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid & Government Services

From the AFGE:
Join your American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) to rally for our public programs in Albuquerque on Saturday, October 1, at 12 Noon at Tiguex Park. Members of the AFGE union work for the Social Security Administration. The event takes place during their Hispanic Coalition's national meeting.

The rally will focus on the importance of protecting, preserving and strengthening Social Security benefits, the jobs, benefits and pensions of state, county and federal employees, government services and benefits and your family's future.

America’s Working Families are Under Attack
Let’s fight back! Click for Flyer
Free Food and Drinks, Entertainment and More!
Bring your signs, banners and T-shirts

Speakers will include:

• AFGE National President John Gage
• AFSCME Leader Jose La Luz
• HISCO Chair Jose Gonzalez
• NMFL President Jon Hendry
• AFL/CIO Don Manning
• New Mexico ARA Terry Schleder
• AFGE National Vice Presidents
• SSA Council President Witold Skwiercynski

Sponsored by AFGE National Office, AFGE Local 4041, AFGE Local 2063, AFGE Local 2142, AFGE Local 2263.

New Mexicans Celebrate One-Year Anniversary of Patient’s Bill of Rights

This past Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act’s Patient’s Bill of Rights, and millions of patients across New Mexico have benefited as a result of this fundamental piece of the law, according to Know Your Care New Mexico. The Patient’s Bill of Rights stops insurance companies from limiting the care that patients need, and removes insurance barriers between patients and their doctors.

“Thanks to the Patient’s Bill of Rights, New Mexicans have significantly more protections against insurance- company abuse than they did a year ago,” said Chris Cervini of Know Your Care New Mexico. “These common-sense provisions are such basic protections, but they are so important to New Mexico patients.”

Under the new law, insurance companies can no longer impose pre-existing condition exclusions on children, deny or take away coverage based on a mistake on the application or set lifetime or annual limits on coverage. Additionally, the Patient's Bill of Rights protects consumers from unreasonable rate increases, ensures that health insurance premiums are adequately reviewed and also prohibits insurance companies from spending premium dollars on administrative costs rather than on health care. 

Since September 23 of last year, patients have had the right to choose any doctor within their plan’s provider network, visit an OB-GYN without a referral,and seek emergency care at a hospital outside of their network. The provisions of the Patient’s Bill of Rights will be further expanded over the next three years until 2014 when all provisions of the Affordable Care Act go into effect.