Commentary:
Whether it is international trade, immigration enforcement or health care, New Mexico has much more to lose from the policies of the new administration than most states.
Then-Gov. Susana Martinez went against Republican orthodoxy in 2013 when she signed legislation creating the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange as part of the Affordable Care Act, better known then as Obamacare. That led to an immediate and significant expansion of Medicaid funding to the state, and a dramatic decrease in the number of residents without health insurance.
In the 2024 open enrollment period, 55,481 New Mexicans signed up for health insurance through the state’s beWellnm program. I was on one of their plans from the time I was laid off by the Sun-News until I turned 65, and was incredibly grateful that it was available.
Our aging state still has enormous challenges ahead when it comes to health care. But the ability to provide coverage for so many more residents is a big accomplishment. And now it is under threat.
The 1,116-page monstrosity commonly known as “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes at least $625 billion in cuts to Medicaid, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Members of Congress supporting this bill want us to believe that the only ones who will be impacted are able-bodied slackers and immigrants who entered the country illegally. They are, of course, lying.
About one in five Americans nationwide rely on Medicaid, including about 40 percent of children. The CBO report estimates that 10.3 million Americans will lose Medicaid coverage if the bill is passed. The impact would vary from state to state, with those states like New Mexico that signed on to the ACA bearing the brunt of the cuts.
The report projects that loss of federal funding would create a crippling financial strain for the states, forcing them to kick some people off the rolls, while also dipping into funds for other services like education in order to prevent a complete collapse.
All of this in service to extending tax cuts for the wealthy.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that members of Congress claiming that only the “undeserving” would be harmed by these cuts were telling the truth … and I must stress here that they most certainly are not … but even if they were, it doesn’t matter.
I think it’s a good idea to feed hungry kids at school. But that’s a purely altruistic argument. There is no direct harm to me if they don’t get fed. The same is not true when it comes to public health.
If the person sitting next to me every day at work or school has the measles, I need for that person to be diagnosed and treated, whether they can afford it or not. Public health is not charity. All of us benefit when the society as a whole has easy access to treatment and medication, and all of us suffer when it doesn’t.
As of Sunday, One Big Beautiful Bill is looking like a bust. Deficit hawks get the credit for finally being true to their convictions even when their own party is in power. That’s a first, and we’ll see how long it lasts.
For New Mexico, all of this is coming at a time when oil prices are on the decline, as is production in the Permian Basin. The last thing we need is a hit to Medicaid.
Walt Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.com. Walt Rubel's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.