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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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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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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<center>- 1 -</center>

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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<center>- 2 -</center>

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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0012|                              
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