Making Medicaid Work

[TexasTowelie]

The state is making it harder to stay enrolled in Medicaid, but cities and counties are exploring a more inclusive option


As the federal government considers New Mexico's requests to impose new premiums on some of the state's 830,000 Medicaid recipients, a growing number of cities and counties across the state are pledging support for a Medicaid-based public insurance plan open to everybody, possibly the first of its kind in the nation.

Beginning next July, the state anticipates that some of the 265,000 New Mexicans who enrolled in Medicaid as part of the federal government's expansion since 2014, as well as enrollees receiving transitional medical assistance, will have to start paying a $10 monthly premium if their yearly income is between 100 and 138 percent above the federal poverty level. That's $1,012 to $1,397 a month for an individual, and $2,092 to $2,887 a month for a four-person household.

This will be the first time that Medicaid patients in New Mexico face the prospect of losing benefits if they're unable to pay. The state plans to offer a grace period for people who fall behind, but a slide produced by the Human Services Department doesn't say how long it would be. The department has also suggested premiums could rise to $20 in subsequent years, but a spokesperson for HSD did not respond to questions about the grace period or future increases.

Last year, the department held several public hearings about new premiums and co-pays for Medicaid enrollees. After collecting feedback, it reduced the income bracket wherein people would be charged premiums. Enrollees who go to the emergency room for "non-emergent" reasons and who opt for brand name drugs instead of generic equivalents would also pay $8 co-pays.

Read more: https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2018/09/19/making-medicaid-work/