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| SPONSOR: | Aragon | DATE TYPED: | 3/5/01 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Right to Health Care, CA | SB | SJR34 | ||||
| ANALYST: | Esquibel | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| N/A | |||||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to SB911
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Human Services Department (HSD)
State Agency on Aging (SAOA)
NM Health Policy Commission (HPC)
No Response
Department of Health (DOH)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Joint Resolution 34 proposes to amend Article 2 of the NM Constitution by adopting a new Section 25 that would provide New Mexicans with the right to accessible, available and medically necessary health care.
Significant Issues
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The Secretary of State's office would cover out of its operating budget the $30.0 necessary to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
The inherent cost of providing accessible, available and medically necessary health care to all New Mexicans would be quite significant.
HSD indicates it provides some of the services prescribed in the resolution through the Medicaid program, and some services are also available through the Medicare program.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP
TECHNICAL ISSUES
SJR34 does not include definitions of "medically necessary health services, accessible and available" health care.
HSD indicates problems associated with denial of service based on "medical necessity" could raise constitutional challenges.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
HPC indicates this legislation is compatible with its statutory mandates and in the recommendations it reported regarding HJM18 (1999).
SAOA indicates the 1999 Census Bureau Current Population Survey estimates that 25.8% of New Mexicans are uninsured compared to the national average of 15.5%; 21% of New Mexicans live in poverty compared to the national average of 11.8%; and 49.6% of New Mexicans are not covered for health insurance by their employers.
The three leading causes of death for New Mexicans are heart disease, cancer and unintentional accidents. Diabetes is also very prevalent among Hispanics and Native Americans. SJR34 would significantly impact these populations.
RAE/njw