Gov. should join fight to save ACA
Medicaid expansion brought in over $11 billion in federal funding to cover an additional 82,000 New Mexicans
Donald Trump’s private jet touched down in Albuquerque on May 24, 2016. As his motorcade sped past modest, hardworking New Mexican communities, Trump’s view through his tinted windows was undoubtedly a stark contrast with New York’s Madison Avenue.
Trump’s advance team had presumably briefed him on Duke City: one in four children living in poverty; nearly 40 percent of households earning less than $35,000 annually; 6 percent unemployment; and one in 10 residents without health coverage. It’s a place where thoughtful, common sense policy approaches are needed to strengthen the local economy and empower New Mexicans to have a fair shot at providing for their families.
But instead of articulating specific ideas to bolster New Mexico’s economy, Trump hazily criticized Gov. Susana Martinez: “You have to get your governor to get going – she has to do a better job.” Martinez’s spokesman later responded, asserting that she “will not be bullied into supporting a candidate until she is convinced that candidate will fight for New Mexicans… she cares about what he says he will do to help New Mexicans. She didn’t hear anything about that today.”
In January 2017, Trump and Washington Republicans plan to pass legislation that could cut as much as $8.6 billion from the state’s fragile economy and result in a loss of over 6,000 local jobs, thereby weakening New Mexico’s recovery and threatening the well-being of thousands of families.
Over 20,000 seniors from Farmington to Lordsburg would pay $1,000 more on average for prescription drugs. More than 32,000 middle-income New Mexicans would lose tax credits averaging $212 per month. And the nearly 860,000 New Mexicans with preexisting conditions – such as diabetes or cancer – would be charged more for their health insurance. Specifically, this legislation would aim to repeal the Affordable Care Act with no viable replacement, which would have devastating consequences in New Mexico and across the country.
While Trump likes to tout his skills at the art of the deal, we must remember that it was Martinez and the state Legislature who secured over $11 billion in federal funding to cover an additional 82,000 New Mexicans under the ACA’s Medicaid expansion; funds that would have otherwise been grabbed by states like New York or Indiana.
Under the law, the federal government covers 100 percent of life-saving health care services for newly enrolled individuals, which will decrease nominally to 90 percent by 2020. Martinez recognized how the Medicaid expansion would drive local economic growth.
Admittedly, the ACA is not perfect. We must do even more to reduce costs, improve how medical professionals coordinate each element of the care and incentivize better patient outcomes by paying for the quality of overall treatment, instead of the volume of tests and prescriptions.
However, the ACA has significantly improved New Mexico’s public health and economic outlook – something both Democrats and Republicans can agree is a critical step forward.
With full repeal of ACA on New Mexico’s doorstep, Martinez should recognize that Trump and the Republican Party’s approach will put Washington establishment interests first and leave New Mexico families in the cold. If Martinez ever genuinely had doubts about the New Yorker’s intention of fighting for New Mexicans, now is the time for her to step up and educate his administration about responsible, innovative policy solutions.