SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Public officials in New Mexico continue to contemplate a possible transition to single-payer health care in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Preliminary results of a study commissioned by New Mexico’s Democrat-led Legislature in 2019 were released Tuesday that outline the consequences of combining nearly all financing for health care services behind a single, state-administered payer for all residents.
Analysts found that significant additional funding sources would likely be needed to fully cover the cost of the plan despite new administrative efficiencies. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden opposes single-payer proposals even as the coronavirus reveals shortcomings of the current U.S. medical system.