I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
A little bit overweight? Smoke a few now and then? It could cost you more for health insurance if you’re a New Mexico teacher. Many New Mexico teachers used to have what could be described as a “Cadillac” health insurance plan. That all changed last year and now surcharges for some health issues are on the table.
In testimony before both the House and Senate Education Committees, Christy Edwards, the deputy director of the New Mexico Public School Insurance Authority (NMPSIA), told law makers the fund from which it pays benefits is $3 million in the red. And that’s good because not long ago they were $7 million dollars below zero. But less cash has caused some changes to the health insurance those teachers get.
Citing a similar health insurance measure used by the Safeway grocery store chain, the NMPSIA could propose a base plan for its members, and then charge them extra for certain health conditions.
Health situations like tobacco use, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels could cost members more. The plan will “very likely” be presented to the 11 member board of the NMPSIA for a decision sometime soon. Some call it the “fat tax’ but Safeway believes in it, telling the Wall Street Journal:
Safeway’s plan capitalizes on two key insights gained in 2005. The first is that 70 percent of all health-care costs are the direct result of behavior. The second insight, which is well understood by the providers of health care, is that 74 percent of all costs are confined to four chronic conditions (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity). Furthermore, 80 percent of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is preventable, 60 percent of cancers are preventable, and more than 90 percent of obesity is preventable.
The NMPSIA said it doesn’t technically need the approval of the legislature to move forward with the plan. State law says members cannot pay more than 40 percent of the premium cost, so a change in that statue might be needed. But the NMPSIA said a decision on what changes to make to the plan, including a decision on the surcharges would likely be made in March. NMPSIA covers over 38,000 New Mexican teachers and other education professionals except those in Albuquerque Public Schools.
