Signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes more autonomy for the state's health insurance exchange to help uninsured individuals access affordable health insurance plans.

Highlights:

• Establishes the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange as a nonprofit public corporation to provide qualified individuals and qualified employers with increased access to health insurance in the state and will be governed by a board of directors (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits the Exchange from duplicating, impairing, enhancing, supplanting, infringing upon or replacing, the powers, duties, or authority of the superintendent (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes all health insurance issuers and health maintenance organizations authorized to conduct business in the state and meet the requirements created by the superintendent and requirements established by the board to be eligible to participate in the Exchange (Sec. 3).

• Requires the board to be composed, as a whole, to assure representation of the state’s Native American population, ethnic diversity, cultural diversity, and geographic diversity (Sec. 3).

• Requires the board to (Sec. 3):

• Meet at the call of the chair and no less often than once per calendar quarter; 

• Create, make appointments to and duly consider recommendations of an advisory committee or committees made up of stakeholders, including health insurance issuers, health care consumers, health care providers, health care practitioners, insurance producers, qualified employer representatives, and advocated for low-income or underserved residents;

• Create an advisory committee made up of members insured through the New Mexico medical insurance pool to make recommendations to the board regarding the transition of each organization’s insured members into the Exchange;

• Create an advisory committee made up of Native Americans, some who live on a reservation and some who do not, to guide the implementation of the Native American-specific provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the federal Indian Health Care Improvement Act; 

• Designate a Native American liaison, to assist the board in developing and ensuring implementation of communication and collaboration between the Exchange and Native Americans in the state, and ensure that training is provided to staff of the Exchange in cultural competency, state and federal law relating to Indian health, and other matters relating to the functions of the Exchange with respect to Native Americans in the state; and

• Establish at least one walk-in customer service center where persons may, if eligible, enroll in qualified health plans or public coverage programs. 

• Requires the board, in coordination with insurance producers appointed and compensated by the insurance industry, to review its plan of operation and approve amendments to it as appropriate to ensure that the Exchange is operated using best practices for state-based Exchanges in business administration, consumer engagement, and public outreach and marketing, no later than September 1, 2020 (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes more autonomy for the state's health insurance exchange to help uninsured individuals access affordable health insurance plans.

Highlights:

• Establishes the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange as a nonprofit public corporation to provide qualified individuals and qualified employers with increased access to health insurance in the state and will be governed by a board of directors (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits the Exchange from duplicating, impairing, enhancing, supplanting, infringing upon or replacing, the powers, duties, or authority of the superintendent (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes all health insurance issuers and health maintenance organizations authorized to conduct business in the state and meet the requirements created by the superintendent and requirements established by the board to be eligible to participate in the Exchange (Sec. 3).

• Requires the board to be composed, as a whole, to assure representation of the state’s Native American population, ethnic diversity, cultural diversity, and geographic diversity (Sec. 3).

• Requires the board to (Sec. 3):

• Meet at the call of the chair and no less often than once per calendar quarter; 

• Create, make appointments to and duly consider recommendations of an advisory committee or committees made up of stakeholders, including health insurance issuers, health care consumers, health care providers, health care practitioners, insurance producers, qualified employer representatives, and advocated for low-income or underserved residents;

• Create an advisory committee made up of members insured through the New Mexico medical insurance pool to make recommendations to the board regarding the transition of each organization’s insured members into the Exchange;

• Create an advisory committee made up of Native Americans, some who live on a reservation and some who do not, to guide the implementation of the Native American-specific provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the federal Indian Health Care Improvement Act; 

• Designate a Native American liaison, to assist the board in developing and ensuring implementation of communication and collaboration between the Exchange and Native Americans in the state, and ensure that training is provided to staff of the Exchange in cultural competency, state and federal law relating to Indian health, and other matters relating to the functions of the Exchange with respect to Native Americans in the state; and

• Establish at least one walk-in customer service center where persons may, if eligible, enroll in qualified health plans or public coverage programs. 

• Requires the board, in coordination with insurance producers appointed and compensated by the insurance industry, to review its plan of operation and approve amendments to it as appropriate to ensure that the Exchange is operated using best practices for state-based Exchanges in business administration, consumer engagement, and public outreach and marketing, no later than September 1, 2020 (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text