News article Las Crusus Sun "Leaders hash out future of Medicaid for Navajos"

http://www.lcsun-news.com/new_mexico-news/ci_21324012/leaders-hash-out-future-medicaid-navajos

Leaders hash out future of Medicaid for Navajos
By Jenny Kane jkane@daily-times.com
Posted:   08/16/2012 01:00:00 AM MDT



SHIPROCK &mdash: Stanford Washburn, 53, was ready to tell the story of his deteriorating heart to the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday.
He was going to tell the committee about how his condition, cardiomyopathy, leaves him vulnerable to a heart attack at any time.
He was going to tell them about how he has no transportation from his home, a storage shed, to the hospital and how he walks six miles to town for every appointment.
He was going to tell them about how he once had to hitchhike to the hospital in Farmington to get a pacemaker, and then how he had to hitchhike back after the procedure.
He was going to tell them, but then he had a heart attack just before the meeting.
"We think he's going to be okay," said Sovereign Hager, Washburn's attorney from the DNA People's Legal Services in Shiprock.
Washburn's story led assembled leaders into a day-long discussion Wednesday about how the state might better provide comprehensive health care to American Indians.
The conversation focused on the potential to expand the state's Medicaid program, a possibility since the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in June.
Gov. Susana Martinez, who was in Farmington on Wednesday, and the Legislature both are under pressure from organizations statewide to expand or not expand Medicaid to about 200,000 low-income New Mexicans. Neither has led on to what decision might be in the works.
"There's a fine line in the sand that says, "We're not going to go there,'" said Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Albuquerque).
Studies already are in the works to determine how Medicaid expansion beginning in 2014 would affect the state and the Navajo Nation.
Studies shared Wednesday were positive, though not always believable, committee members said.
A study by New Mexico Voices for Children found that the state would generate more than $1 billion in new tax revenue by 2020. It also would generate between 32,000 and 38,000 jobs by the same time, the study said.
"We're selling this as an economic boost, but there's a lot of issues here," said Rep. Dennis Kintigh (R-Roswell).
Kintigh also questioned how the Navajo Nation intended on figuring out Medicaid expansion for the tribe when it is stretched across three states, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.
All could pass different policies.
"The Navajo Nation already is assessing the expansion of health care," said Gayle Din Chacon, surgeon general for the Navajo Nation.
Currently, about 30,000 Navajo in New Mexico are enrolled in the state's Medicaid program. About 50,000 are enrolled in Arizona's program, and 1,000 in Utah's.
Many more, however, are eligible and are not taking advantage of the services offered.
"A lot of these people don't know these services are available to them," said Quela Robinson, an attorney for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.
The committee considered increasing outreach to low-income New Mexicans, particularly those living in rural areas. Many of them do not have access to mainstream media and technology.
"If the state chooses to do this, I want to make sure that everyone that qualifies gets it," said Sen. Sander Rue (R-Albuquerque).
The state has much research to do on the outcome of expanding its Medicaid program, as does the Navajo Nation, but it was clear Wednesday parties statewide are interested in collaborating to better the system.
"If we don't do a lot of planning, there's going to be a lot of collateral damage," said David Foster, chairman of the Health Care Committee for the Association of Commerce and Industry of New Mexico