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Trying To Pay For Medicaid

Clever Cupcakes via Flickr
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KUNM Callin Show 2/16 8a: New Mexico expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and the number of people covered by the program will grow to more than 900,000 by the end of June. That's about 44 percent of the state's population.

 

Under the expansion, 244,000 people were added and the federal government picks up 95 percent of those premium costs right now. But New Mexico must still pony up matching funds for the rest of the program and lawmakers are grappling with a budget pounded by plummeting oil and gas revenues. Options could include cutting back on benefits, adding co-pays and lowering provider reimbursement rates. Looming on the horizon are proposals at the federal level to turn Medicaid into a block grant program.

 

What will all this mean for vulnerable New Mexicans? Have you gotten health coverage under the Medicaid expansion? What would changes to the program mean for you and your family? We want to hear from you. Email callinshow@kunm.org or call toll free 1-877-899-5866 during the show.

 

Guests: 

Sireesha Manne, attorney for New Mexico Center for Law and Poverty

Kelly O'Donnell, O'Donnell Economics & Strategy and RWJF Center for for Health Policy

Senator Steven Neville, R-Aztec, member of Legislative Finance Committee

Representative Debbie Armstrong, D-Albuquerque, Chair of Health and Human Services Committee

Steven Kopelman, Executive Director of New Mexico Association of Counties

Dr. Rick Madden, Belen physician. 

 

Further Reading:

 

 
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The People, Power and Democracy project examines ethics, transparency and accountability in state government. The project is funded by the Thornburg Foundation and by contributions from KUNM listeners.

Megan has been a journalist for 25 years and worked at business weeklies in San Antonio, New Orleans and Albuquerque. She first came to KUNM as a phone volunteer on the pledge drive in 2005. That led to volunteering on Women’s Focus, Weekend Edition and the Global Music Show. She was then hired as Morning Edition host in 2015, then the All Things Considered host in 2018. Megan was hired as News Director in 2021.
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