Commentary: New Mexico - With President Trump’s official budget expected to cut Medicaid by $800 billion, Republican elected officials in New Mexico have remained silent on this new development.
“Many New Mexico children and families rely on Medicaid for health care, and Trump’s cuts to Medicaid are a serious concern,” said DPNM Chair Richard Ellenberg. “Governor Martinez and Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez have not fulfilled their obligation to fight for New Mexico families, instead they continue to allow Trump to push harmful policies that hurt our state.
According to the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, 900,000 New Mexico residents are enrolled in Medicaid. Since 2013, 329,432 New Mexicans gained coverage through Medicaid, according to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) March 2017 Medicaid and CHIP Application, Eligibility Determination, and Enrollment Report. According to the report, the Trump administration’s budget projects cuts made to Medicaid under the American Health Care Act, also known as Trumpcare.
Congressman Steve Pearce voted to take away hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans' coverage when he voted for Trumpcare. Governor Martinez and Lt. Governor John Sanchez have not commented on reports that Medicaid will be cut by $800 billion, which includes funding for New Mexico’s Medicaid expansion program.
CNN Reports: Under that bill [AHCA], in 2020, states that expanded the program [Medicaid] would no longer receive enhanced funding to cover low-income adults, while states that did not expand previously would not be able to do so, starting immediately. Some 11 million adults have gained coverage under Medicaid expansion. Also, the bill would reduce federal funding for the entire Medicaid program, which covers more than 70 million low-income children, adults, disabled Americans and the elderly. States would either receive a set amount of funding per enrollee, known as a per capita grant, or fixed funding in the form of a block grant.