More to be eligible for program Jan. 1
LAS CRUCES >> About 43,000 New Mexicans have applied for Medicaid since Oct. 1 and as many as 20,000 of those will be eligible to start the program as of Jan. 1.
The Medicaid program in New Mexico will soon be known as Centennial Care and it will expand to take on more people as the Affordable Care Act -- better known as ObamaCare -- kicks in with the start of the new year. Already 550,000 New Mexicans -- about 1 in 4 -- are covered by Medicaid and, as coverage is expanded, the state projects that number to grow through the rest of the decade.
"We've revised the numbers up, and by 2020 as many as 205,000 more people (could be on Medicaid)," said Matt Kennicott, communications director with the state's Human Services Department.
Las Crucen Michael Marrufo said he applied online on Nov. 14 but does not yet know if he will be accepted.
"They shot me an email saying, 'You will receive a final decision from the New Mexico Department of Human Services,' So now I am waiting," he said.
Las Crucen Dave Meade said that he does not currently have health insurance and, with the expansion of Medicaid to include more people, he decided to try and enroll. He applied online last month and is also waiting to hear back.
"If they count our housing costs, which are quite high, I should qualify no problem," Meade said. "If they don't count for housing costs, maybe I won't qualify."
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Who is eligible?
As of the start of 2014, states that choose to expand Medicaid -- like New Mexico -- can set eligibility levels to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Line, or about $32,500 for a family of four.There are other criteria as well. The website yes.state.nm.us offers what it calls a "quick, easy and private way" for people to determine if they are eligible. In addition, people can contact the Income Support Division offices in Las Cruces at 655 Utah Ave., and at 2121 Summit Ct. The phone numbers are 575-524-6500 and 575-524-6568, respectively.
How to apply
Potential enrollees can also use the website yes.state.nm.us to apply or they can also visit the local offices."We got outreach to help sign people up at (other) locations as well," Kennicott said.
Both Memorial Medical Center and MountainView Regional Medical Center have pitched in.
"MountainView is helping people get signed up," said MountainView spokesman Kelly Duke, who pointed out that 20 people attended a seminar at the hospital on Friday.
Mandy Leatherwood with Memorial Medical Center said that MMC has six staff members trained as healthcare guides.
"They can help people with signing up for the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange and the Medicaid expansion," she said.
Problems
Some people have expressed frustration with the sign-up process and even with the state.Meade said he does not expect to hear back on his eligibility anytime soon based on a phone call he made to the state.
"I tried to get through and it took me a couple of days," he said. "Based on what they told me, it seemed like they hadn't even looked at my application yet. My impression was that it would be sometime in January or February."
Marrufo said the application process was a chore.
"The log-in was a pain," he said. "It took several tries and finally I got an email response from the health insurance marketplace telling me that they knew I was having problems with the site and to try logging in again and complete the registration (so) I did."
Kimmarie Hartley applied on Oct. 6 and received a letter that she was not accepted on Nov. 4. She said that she was denied because she does not have any minor children, but she believes, under the expanded program, that should not matter. She will be covered by Medicare in March, so she has decided not to appeal the process. But her daughter, who also applied, was sent a denial letter too for the same reason. The problem? She has a minor child.
Hartley said her daughter has filed an appeal and was told she'll have to wait a month before she learns more.
Kennicott said people can file appeals with an ISD office.
