Some critically ill New Mexicans could end up paying more for their health care this year.
Almost 16 hundred New Mexicans are slated to be shifted out of a state high risk medical insurance pool into a new federal health coverage plan on July 1st. That's because the federal government is cutting funding for the state program to just over 12 million dollars.
But the new plan would cost more for the patients, many of whom suffer from HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes -chronic diseases that are often quite expensive to treat.
State insurance superintendent John Franchini has asked the federal government not to transfer people out of the state's high risk insurance pool, adding that it's unfair to change the rules for these critically ill patients.
"These people, to go to the federal program, they're going to have to double their deductible and double their co-pay, and they will not get the credits for low income credits they are getting right now in our state, so this is going to severely hurt these people"
According to a report in New Mexico In-Depth, the state is still unsure how to cover the expected budget shortfall of $8 million.
