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>> THE CLOCK IS TICKING TOWARD MARCH 31 DEADLINE TO SIGN UP FOR
COVERAGE ON THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE.
ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT OBAMA JUST ISSUED A LIST OF SITUATIONS
WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET WAIVERS TO COMPLETE THAT PROCESS, BUT,
WHILE THOUSANDS OF LOW INCOME RESIDENTS HAVE ENROLLED UNDER
MEDICAID, UNDER EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES, THE
NUMBERS FOR THOSE BY INDIVIDUAL PLANS IN NEW MEXICO CONTINUE TO
LAG, ONLY ABOUT 15,000 HAVE PURCHASED PLANS.
SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD, BUT THAT IS FAR LESS THAN THE GOAL OF
50,000. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD THING WE
HAVE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WITH COVERAGE, IF YOU COUNT MEDICAID,
AND BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM, HOWEVER, WITH THE 15,000 NUMBER,
ISN'T THERE? >> YEAH, ORIGINALLY THEY WANTED
TO SIGN UP 80,000 AND IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT IF YOU WANT
TO GET INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE FOR THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, OBAMA
CARE, HERE IN NEW MEXICO, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FEDERAL
SITE. NOWIF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR
BUSINESS COVERED THEN YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH
INSURANCE EXCHANGE SITE WHICH HAS NOT HAD ALL THE PROBLEMS
THAT THE FEDERAL SITE HAS HAD. BUT AS FAR AS THE MEDICAID
VERSUS ENROLLMENTS AS COMPARED TO ACA INDIVIDUAL CARE
ENROLLMENTS, 15,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP ON THE INDIVIDUAL
PLANS, 103,000 ON THE MEDICAID PLANS.
WHY? THAT IS PRETTY MUCH SOMETHING TO
BE DISCUSSED. I THINK ONE OF THE BIG REASONS
WHY IS BECAUSE IF YOU APPLY AND GET ACCEPTED TO MEDICAID, IT IS
FREE. THERE ARE NO PREMIUMS THERE.
IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PLAN, EVEN IF YOU
QUALIFY FOR A LOT OF SUBSIDIES, YOU HAVE TO PAY.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MAYBE MAKE A LITTLE
BIT MORE MONEY SO THEY ARE NOT ON MEDICAID, ARE MAKING A
DECISION, THEY ARE SAYING, IF I DON'T SIGN UP FOR THIS
INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE, I PAY $95. AND I WOULD RATHER PAY THE $95
THAN PAY A MONTHLY PREMIUM. >> MASSACHUSETTS A LOT OF FOLKS
DECIDED TO JUST PAY THE FINE AND THEY HAD TO REDO THIS.
>> INTERESTING TO HEAR ROB TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN MAYBE WE
SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN MEDICAID.
I SEE ON FACEBOOK, PEOPLE GETTING STICKER SHOCK AT WHAT
THEY ARE GETTING FROM THE QUOTES.
IF YOU'RE A SERVER, 180, 200 BUCKS A MONTH IS A BIG DEAL.
IT IS A LOT OF MONEY, 150 IS A BIG DEAL SO IT IS A DIFFICULTY,
SHOULD WE BE SURPRISED, SOME FOLKS ARE GOING TOWARD MEDICAID.
WHAT IS THE -- >> WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT IT IS
JUST TOO EXPENSIVE FOR PARTICULARLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
YOU THINK, AND WE NEED THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS.
THAT WAS PART OF THE WHOLE IDEA AT THE BEGINNING, THAT THEY WERE
GOING TO COVER THE OTHER PEOPLE, JUST TOO EXPENSIVE, THEY CAN'T
REALLY AFFORD IT. I AM NOT SURPRISED.
>> WHAT CAN THE ADMINISTRATION DO TO HASTEN THAT?
THEY HAVE DONE A COUPLE THING, DOING GUEST THINGS WITH
CELEBRITIES, ANYTHING ANYONE CAN DO TO CONVINCE A YOUNG PERSON TO
SIGN UP. >> I DON'T HAVE A READY ANSWER
FOR THAT, OTHER THAN THEY ARE TRYING A LOT OF SOMEWHAT HOKEY
THINGS BUT -- >> HOKEY OR NOT, WE NEED TO HAVE
SOMETHING HAPPEN. WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF WHAT NEEDS
TO HAPPEN? >> WELL, I THINK YOU KNOW, I
THINK ROB IS CORRECT ABOUT PEOPLE DOING A COST BENEFIT
ANALYSIS FOR THEMSELVES AND PAYING $200 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT
YEAR OR WHATEVER, VERSUS A $95 FINE AT THE END OF THE YEAR
SEEMS -- IT IS A NO BRAINER FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING
HAND TO MOUTH IN THE ECONOMY. I THINK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IT IS
SAME THING. THEY ARE YOUNG, HEALTHY, DON'T
NECESSARILY HAVE MANY MEDICAL NEEDS AT ALL FOR THEM TO HAVE TO
JUSTIFY 400 A MONTH WHICH IS SOMETHING ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES,
SOMEBODY I KNOW, WAS FACING UNDER INDIVIDUAL PLANS.
THAT IS JUST INSANE IN AN ECONOMY LIKE THIS, PLUS THERE IS
A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION NOW OUT OF UNDERGRAD OR OUT OF GRAD
SCHOOL, LET'S SAY, HAVE CONSIDERABLE DEBT THEY ARE
DEALING WITH, WITH NO WAY OUT OF PAYING FOR SOME OF THAT STUDENT
DEBT AND NOW YOU ADD ON TO THAT A 200 TO 400 A MONTH PAYMENT.
IT JUST BECOMES UNMANAGEABLE. WHEN WE PAY SUCH LOW WAGES.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS IMMEDIATELY.
I DON'T THINK IS AN OPTION THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO MEDICAID
VERSUS INDIVIDUAL PLAN. WHAT IS HAPPENING IS OFTENTIMES
THEY GO TO UNMH, OTHER PLACES IF THEY ARE UNINSURED, AND SOMEBODY
DOES THEIR INTAKE AND THEN BASICALLY SAYS, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE
FOR MEDICAID AND DIRECTS THEM TO TAKE THAT ROUTE BECAUSE THEY ARE
ELIGIBLE. THEY DON'T EXACTLY GET TO THE
POINT WHERE THEY ARE CHOOSING MEDICAID OR MEDICARE.
THEY ARE BASICALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM AND
WHY WOULDN'T THEY TAKE THE FREE OPTION.
>> ON THAT NOTE, DIANE, INTERESTING, THANK GOODNESS
GOVERNOR DECIDED TO ACCEPT -- WHERE WOULD WE BE OUT IT?
WE WOULD BE IN A BIGGER BIND. WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE OF SO MANY
FOLKS CHOOSING TO NOT -- BEYOND WHAT IS OBVIOUS, PREMIUMS ARE
NOT GOING TO COME DOWN IF YOU DON'T GET A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
EXCHANGE. YOU CAN'T EXPECT PEOPLE WHO HAVE
MEDICAID OPTIONS TO GO THERE. ARE WE IN A BIND THERE?
>> TO OVERSIMPLIFY THINGS, THINK IN TERMS OF AUTO INSURANCE,
PEOPLE WILL GET IT AND DROP IT, I MEAN, LONG ENOUGH TO GET A
LOAN OR WHATEVER THEY DO AND THEN THEY DROP IT, AND THEN THEY
HAVE AN ACCIDENT BUT THEY ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK.
THE RISK IS NOT SO BAD. IT IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING,
PENALTY IS LESS THAN $100. AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYBODY THAT
CAN GET A PREMIUM FOR A MONTHLY $100.
>> I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT MIGHT BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
IS THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DELAYED SO MANY REGULATIONS IN
THIS, THAT I THINK MAYBE A YOUNG PERSON WHO IS NOT FOLLOWING THE
NEWS THAT MUCH, THEY KIND OF JUST, THROUGH OSMOSIS, THEY ARE
GETTING A GENERAL IDEA AND THINKING, WELL, DIDN'T THAT GET
DELAYED OR WHATEVER? I THINK ALL THE DELAYS, THE
PRESIDENT HAS LOST A SENSE OF URGENCY AMONG PEOPLE.
>> RICHARD, WHAT TO YOU THINK? WHAT DO WE NEED TO GET THIS
THING MOVING, IF YOU RULED THE WORLD; GO DOOR TO DOOR?
>> HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO SIGN UP?
I DON'T HAVE A READY SOLUTION, REALLY.
I DON'T THINK THERE REALLY IS ONE.
WITH THE DELAYS, WITH EXEMPTIONS, SO MANY GROUPS ARE
EXEMPTED I THINK IT IS A REAL PROBLEM.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ANSWER, CANDIDLY.
>> IT IS A TOUGH ONE, LAURA, I WENT EARLIER THIS MONTH TO NEW
MEXICO PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION, THEIR OFFICES.
THEY HAVE THESE BRILLIANT WOMEN UP THERE THAT WILL HELP YOU.
THEY ARE BRILLIANT. THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY TAKE YOU
RIGHT THROUGH THE PROCESS. IT WAS EASY AS PIE, NO SWEAT.
BUT I HAVE TO CONFESS, A COUPLE OF THEM TALKING AFTERWARDS WERE
LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT GETS HARD WHEN YOU HAVE REACTIONS TO $400
A MONTH PREMIUMS THAT PEOPLE WEREN'T COUNTING ON, AND HAVE TO
BE ACROSS THE DESK AND LISTEN TO THIS, I HAD NOT EXPECTED.
I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS GOING TO BE SUCH A PROBLEM WITH THESE
KIND OF PREMIUMS. >> IT GOES BACK TO NOT ONLY THE
PREMIUMS DIFFERENT BETWEEN MEDICAID AND EXCHANGE BUT IT IS
SO MUCH EASIER. HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON
PRE-NAVIGATION OR NAVIGATION AND PROBLEMS FOR YEARS NOW HERE IN
NEW MEXICO. YOU HAVE SOMEONE, OH, A COUPLE
OF QUESTIONS, YOU QUALIFY. THEY HELP YOU, IT IS DONE, SLAM
DUNK. >> AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO MAKE
THE DECISION, WHEREAS, CHOOSING AN INSURANCE PLAN, THEY HAVE, DO
I WANT SILVER, DO I GOLD. WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT ALL
MEAN? >> THERE IS A LACK OF
INFORMATION OUT THERE, ONCE THEY ARE FACED WITH AN IMMEDIATE
HEALTH NEED, THEY CAN'T CONTEXTUALIZE --
>> YOU HIT IT. UNTIL IT IS STARING YOU IN THE
FACE, IT IS A THEORY. >> SAME REASON WHY PEOPLE DON'T
VOTE, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THAT SENSE OF URGENCY, RIGHT?
I THINK THERE IS JUST ALSO IN GENERAL A PROBLEM WITH PUTTING
SO MUCH OF THE SOLVENCY OF ANY PROGRAM -- I WOULD SAY THE SAME
WITH SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, WITH THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM,
WHERE WE HAVE MUCH OF THE SOLVENCY BASED ON THE YOUNGER
POPULATION AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY THEN DON'T HAVE THE SAME
KIND OF BENEFITS AS THEY GROW OLDER.
THAT IS A REAL PROBLEM WE HAVE IN GENERAL.
>> YOU CAN SEE THAT DOWN THE ROAD.
>> DEMOCRACY IS DESTINY IN MANY WAYS.