ICYMI: Medicaid Forward Would Cause “Detrimental Long-Term Impacts to the Entire Medical System”

In a recent op-ed published by the Santa Fe New Mexican, former president of the American Medical Association Dr. Barbara L. McAneny calls attention to how a proposed Medicaid Forward bill would drive doctors away and “have detrimental long-term impacts to the entire medical system.”

She writes:

“New Mexico’s medical system is fragile at best. There have been dozens of news stories talking about the problems and delays people have getting in to see a doctor, doctors leaving the state in record numbers, the cost of medical malpractice insurance and on and on…

…According to a study conducted by Mercer on the proposed Medicaid Forward plan, approximately 7% of people currently insured on a commercial plan will switch over to the Medicaid Forward plan.

Losing this money will make practices unable to cover the costs of seeing Medicare or Medicaid patients. Mercer did not calculate the increased costs or decreased access that would result from this bill.

When practices cannot afford to see Medicare and Medicaid patients, their doctors either leave the state, retire or join a hospital. Hospitals are paid twice as much for seeing Medicaid and Medicare patients as physician practices are paid, so overall health care costs will go up, and access will get even worse.”

As Dr. McAneny points out, New Mexico’s health care system is fragile. The state is already in the throes of a significant physician shortage and is the most underpaid state from Medicare and Medicaid in the country. The ill-considered Medicaid Forward program could make this precarious situation even worse and reduce patient access to quality health care.

State legislators should heed the warnings of physicians like Dr. McAneny before rushing to implement a costly program that could hurt both providers and patients. New Mexico’s legislators should instead build on what is already working in our health care system to improve health care access and affordability in New Mexico. To read Dr. McAneny’s full op-ed, click here.