Vendor Chosen to Analyze Health Care Models that will Close the Health Coverage Gap in NM

From the NM Human Services Department:
Santa Fe, New Mexico, December 19, 2006 – An agreement has been reached on behalf of the Health Coverage for New Mexicans Committee (Committee), between the state and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (Mathematica), to conduct an extensive quantitative and comparative analysis of three health coverage models to help close the health coverage gap in New Mexico. “Governor Bill Richardson charged the Committee with finding a health care model that would get every New Mexico citizen the health care coverage they deserve,” said Secretary Pamela Hyde, Human Services Department. “This contract gets us one step closer to making that a reality.”

Mathematica was selected the successful bidder from three finalists. Mathematica, Lewin Group, and Health Management Associates were asked to submit best and final offers after careful evaluation of the original proposals and oral presentations before the Committee last month. 

Mathematica was chosen due to its experience and expertise in financial, actuarial and health policy reform studies, including the experience and expertise of its subcontractors. Mathematica is based in Washington, D.C. and will be using the University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Institute of Public Law and Institute of Public Health, and two other subcontractors to conduct this study. The total contract cost to be paid by the state is $310,782.

Mathematica will be working on a short timeframe to analyze the costs of the three different approaches to closing the health coverage gap in New Mexico. A preliminary report and presentation are due in April 2007, with the final report and presentation due in June 2007.

The analysis will consider the costs of the models to employers, the state, individuals and health care companies compared to taking no action with the current system. The three models chosen take different approaches to providing a comprehensive approach to provide health insurance or coverage for all New Mexicans. The models are:

• The Health Security Act, which is a single plan administered by a commission appointed by the Governor,
• The New Mexico Health Choices Plan, which is a market-based universal coverage plan that would utilize vouchers provided to individuals, and
• The New Mexico Health Coverage Plan, which is also a market-based plan that would preserve roles for both the current public and private health care system in the state, and includes a requirement that everyone have insurance with a clear role for employers.

The 23-member Committee and four advisors appointed by the Governor and the Legislative leadership selected these models from several presented to them.

NEW MEXICO HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
P.O. Box 2348
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-2348

For more information contact Betina Gonzales McCracken 505-827-6245 or 505-699-4675

Editor's Note - Background Info:

This Santa Fe New Mexican article provides summaries of the three health coverage plans that will be studied.

Here's a post on State Sen. Dede Feldman's blog on Governor Richardson's formation of the Health Coverage for New Mexicans Committee and its members.

And here's a recent Albuquerque Journal op/ed column by Eleanor Chavez and Max Bartlett of the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign that describes their plan and reports that "11 out of 19 members of Gov. Bill Richardson's Health Coverage for New Mexicans  ... ranked the New Mexico Health Security Plan as their No. 1 choice to be included in a study that will analyze three different health care reform models and how they impact rising health care costs." Those who attended the this month's DFA-DFNM Meetup had a chance to hear about the plan from Dana Millen of the Health Security for New Mexicans Campaign.