No Action on NM House Health Coverage Reform Bills Today

I just got a report phoned in by Terry Riley, who was up at the Roundhouse today monitoring progress on health care reform. This post is based on my understanding of what he communicated.

The NM House Health and Government Affairs Committee decided to put off action on the single-payer-type Health Security Act (HB214) and other health care reform measures until next Tuesday, after spending hours yesterday and today discussing their options. The committee seriously considered passing on the bills to the House Judiciary Committee without recommendation. Eventually, however, they decided to hold off -- primarily to see what happens in the Senate Public Affairs Committee that will be taking up companion bills and other reform proposals tomorrow.

The other major bill in the mix is Governor Richardson's Health Solutions Act (HB62), a complex bill that would set up a sort of public-private health care system. The bill also includes creation of a Health Care Authority appointed mostly by the governor. An alternative Authority act (HB147) sponsored by Rep. Danice Picraux m, which would give more power over the Authority to the legislature, is also being discussed.

Proposed Compromise
Much consideration is being given to passing a compromise bill that would set up only a Health Authority of some sort, which would be charged with studying the issues AGAIN and making recommendations to the Legislature in the future. Governor Richardson has signaled that he's open to compromising on the membership and scope of such an Authority. However, it would take 6-9  months after passage of the bill to get the Authority up and running. The fear is that the Authority would not be ready to make any viable recommendations to the legislature at its 60-day Session in 2009. That would mean action on health care reform would be delayed until at least 2010 -- and maybe years longer -- depending on how such reform would be implemented.

Tired of Waiting
Bottom line? The thousands of New Mexicans who currently lack health care coverage or have only inadequate policies can keep holding their breath while the government dithers. In the meantime, sick people will continue to go untreated and some of them will certainly die. Apparently too many legislators still haven't gotten the message that our health care system is broken and in urgent need of comprehensive reform right now. I imagine there's not one legislator, insurance lobbyist or provider rep at the Roundhouse who lacks ready access to quality health care and a top notch insurance policy to pay for it. Wouldn't it be satisfying if we had the power to cancel all their policies and force them to experience personally the kind of insecurity and suffering people put up with who must function in the world without any health care coverage whatsoever?

Not surprisingly, the forces fighting against the Health Security Act at today's hearings were either members of Governor Richardson's staff or paid lobbyists for the insurance industry and others who like things just as they are, uninsured and underinsured people be damned. Those attending the hearings as supporters of the Health Security Act, on the other hand, were almost all unpaid citizen lobbyists. You get the picture. Once more it's the people against the vested interests. Who do you think will win?

More detailed info on the particulars of the array of healthcare reform bills now being considered and who's backing each one can be found here, as explained by the Health Security for New Mexicans campaign. Remember to attend Sunday's committee action in the NM Senate on health care reform.