Printed in Talk of the Town October 11, 2011
Finally, Health Care That Works For All
THE NEW health care law is already having a positive effect on health care costs in New Mexico. Part of why premium increases are slowing is because of the protections the law affords.
The health law provides states with funding to help us better evaluate huge spikes in insurance premiums. These dollars provide states with the capacity to bring greater transparency to the insurance market by reviewing rate increases, which ultimately helps to drive down premiums and hold insurance companies accountable.
Ever-rising premiums have hampered women’s ability to afford health insurance. Not only does this new law help to reduce insurance premiums, but it protects women from discriminatory health insurance practices, and makes coverage more secure by ensuring that working families cannot be denied care due to a pre-existing condition.
The law also provides basic preventative health care and women’s health services with no-copy, which reduces the amount of out-of-pocket costs women would have had to spend on needed care. The law not only helps women and families in New Mexico, but it makes good economic sense.
According to the nonpartisan congressional budget office, the health care law will reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion in the first 10 years and by more than $1 trillion in the second 10 years.
GIOVANNA ROSSI PRESSLEY
Albuquerque