0001| HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 14
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0002| 43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003| INTRODUCED BY
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0004| SHERYL M. WILLIAMS
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0008|
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0009|
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0010| A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011| REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
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0012| THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, TO
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0013| INVESTIGATE THE LACK OF COVERAGE FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS TREATMENTS
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0014| BY INSURANCE COMPANIES.
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0015|
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0016| WHEREAS, endometriosis is a disease of any tissue similar
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0017| to the lining of the uterus that is found living outside the
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0018| uterus, usually in the female pelvis, and it has been found on
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0019| every pelvic organ, including the uterus, ovaries, tubes,
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0020| ligaments, ureters, bowel, bladder and other peritoneal
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0021| surfaces; and
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0022| WHEREAS, every case of endometriosis is different from
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0023| every other case but the disease can cause debilitating pain,
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0024| the magnitude of which depends on where the diseased tissue is
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0025| and how much there is, with even a small and relatively
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0001| inactive case causing incapacitating pain; and
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0002| WHEREAS, advanced-stage patients may feel no pain, and
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0003| yet patients with minimal disease can be incapacitated by
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0004| pain; and
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0005| WHEREAS, other symptoms may include severe menstrual
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0006| cramps, pelvic pain apart from menses, backache, painful
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0007| intercourse, painful bowel movements, fatigue, bloating,
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0008| constipation, menstrual diarrhea, pain with exercise, painful
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0009| pelvic exams, painful and frequent urination and others; and
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0010| WHEREAS, surgery or laparoscopy are the only certain ways
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0011| to diagnose endometriosis, and between twelve and fifteen
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0012| percent of the female population have endometriosis; and
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0013| WHEREAS, although not all afflicted women know they have
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0014| it, some women have not been diagnosed and others have no
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0015| symptoms; and
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0016| WHEREAS, endometriosis can affect any woman, regardless
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0017| of age, race or childbearing status; and
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0018| WHEREAS, if all of a woman's endometriosis is completely
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0019| removed at surgery, she has better than an eighty percent
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0020| chance that it will not recur; and
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0021| WHEREAS, treatments for endometriosis may include a
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0022| watchful wait-and-see period with frequent examinations by a
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0023| physician; drugs to affect the amount of estrogen, which will
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0024| slow the rate of progression and the amount of local injury;
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0025| use of oral contraceptives; and surgery ranging from
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0001| diagnostic to radical;
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0002| NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0003| STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of insurance, in
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0004| consultation with the university of New Mexico school of
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0005| medicine, investigate the lack of coverage for endometriosis
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0006| treatments by insurance companies and report their findings
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0007| and recommendations for legislation to the appropriate
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0008| legislative committee by November 1, 1998; and
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0009| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0010| transmitted to the superintendent of insurance and to the dean
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0011| of the university of New Mexico school of medicine.
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