Steps New Mexicans Can Take to Preserve Medicaid Coverage

By Roz Brown

After three years of continuous Medicaid coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, that protection has ended. As a result, New Mexico is assessing eligibility for everyone on its rolls.

Divya Shiv – policy analyst with the state’s Voices for Children advocacy group – noted that three-quarters, and even up to 83% of children in some counties, get their health care through Medicaid.

She said bright turquoise enrollment packets were sent to previous enrollees, but quite a few adults and children are being disenrolled for procedural reasons.

“Because they didn’t receive or didn’t return the renewal packet,” said Shiv, “but it is likely that New México children are losing coverage even though many are still likely eligible for Medicaid.”

Shiv reminded parents that even if they no longer qualify, their children likely are still eligible.

Those who’ve been disenrolled and need help can get information at the state website: bewellnewmexico.com.

Joan Alker – a research professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy and executive director with the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University – said Medicaid plays a pronounced role in small towns and rural areas, especially in southern states, Alaska and New México.

“Rural areas don’t have as good internet connectivity, and it’s harder to get to an office if you need in-person help,” said Alker, “and rural communities already are facing many, many challenges with health-care providers.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more children with asthma, than children without asthma, had health-care coverage through Medicaid or the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program.

But its ramifications extend much farther, according to Shiv.

“Having Medicaid and health insurance is not just important for children’s health,” said Shiv, “it’s also important for children’s education. Because when children have access to physical and mental health care, we see lower absentee and dropout rates and we see higher graduation rates.”

So far, more than five million people have lost Medicaid nationally, according to reports from 45 states and the District of Columbia analyzed by KFF, a health policy research organization.

Roz Brown is a producer with Public News Service.