SENATE MEMORIAL 17

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Dede Feldman

A MEMORIAL

PROCLAIMING JANUARY 24, 2012 AS "MEDICAID APPRECIATION DAY" IN THE SENATE.

     WHEREAS, medicaid provides a foundation for New Mexico's economy, bringing over two billion six hundred million dollars ($2,600,000,000) in federal funds each year to New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, medicaid funding sustains more than fifty thousand jobs in the state, mostly in the private health care sector; and

     WHEREAS, medicaid is a lifeline, providing health care for one-fourth of New Mexicans, serving more than five hundred fifty thousand people; and

     WHEREAS, medicaid helps reduce private insurance rates by providing health care coverage to uninsured New Mexicans; and

     WHEREAS, the majority of medicaid funds come from federal dollars, making it the most economical way to provide health care to New Mexicans; and

     WHEREAS, medicaid is the medical insurance used by the most vulnerable members of New Mexico's population, such as low-income children, seniors, people living with disabilities, pregnant women and extremely poor adults; and

     WHEREAS, all New Mexicans benefit when medicaid provides the means for its participants to stay healthy and lead productive lives; and

     WHEREAS, each New Mexico county relies upon medicaid to meet its obligation to serve the health care needs of very-low- income residents; and

     WHEREAS, medicaid is the most cost-effective means by which New Mexico can ensure provision of critical health care to New Mexicans who cannot afford to buy insurance; and

     WHEREAS, maintaining medicaid services at no cost to recipients best serves the health care needs of those recipients and exhibits great economic wisdom; and

     WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of New Mexico's voters believe that medicaid is an important health care program and that its services and funding should not be cut; and

     WHEREAS, the people of the state of New Mexico want and need a medicaid program that is robustly and adequately funded, enrolls all eligible New Mexicans, includes a full range of health care coverage and recognizes that medicaid participants need and want a program that is fully accessible to them without barriers imposed by provider shortages or economic hardship;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that January 24, 2012 be recognized as "Medicaid Appreciation Day" in the senate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the house of representatives be requested to join the senate in celebrating medicaid appreciation day and support a robust and adequately funded medicaid program; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Governor Martinez and her cabinet be requested to support a medicaid program that preserves all medicaid services with no increased costs for participants and ensures that all eligible New Mexicans are enrolled; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governor be requested to join the senate in funding the medicaid program adequately to ensure its ongoing success; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the secretary of human services.

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