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New Mexico insurance law and regulation
The state insurance department can be reached by telephone at (888) 427-5772 or by mail at P.O. Box 1269, Santa Fe NM 87504.
News that affects your health insurance and planning
June 16, 2019 – Status of alternative non-ACA health plans: New Mexico does not require individuals to maintain adequate health coverage. The state provides no premium or cost-sharing subsidies for individual market coverage, but does not permit insurers to sell non-compliant transitional policies in the individual market and does not limit the sale of short-term coverage more strictly than the federal government.
March 23, 2019 – Expanding Dental Care: New Mexico is the eighth state to adopt a program that allows dental therapists to provide routine and preventive care and take their skills to rural areas where dental health care often is lacking or non-existent. Dental therapists are state-licensed dental practitioners who work as part of dentist-led teams, providing services similar to a physician’s assistant. That type of dental care is covered as an alternate on the dental plans through employers or purchased individually, including those listed here at Freedom Benefits.
The history of health care planning in Ne Mexico (Information is outdated and links may be expired)
2/11/2014 Professional support for any health care reform issue is available free of charge through an arrangement with OnlineNavigator. All online inquiries are handled personally by Tony Novak, CPA. Online support is available through a number of popular social media channels including Facebook and Google+ as well as e-mail. Telephone support for insurance enrollment is available through Members Insurance Exchange at (800) 609-0683.
7/26/2013 Affordable Smart Term Life Insurance is now available to most New Mexico residents from age 20 through 60 directly online with no physical exam, agent appointment or telephone verification. Most policies are issued on the same day with coverage amounts of $25,000 up to $350,000. The level premium life insurance is available for terms of 10, 15, 20 and 30 years. Sample rates for $150,000 coverage for a preferred risk male age 30, non-tobacco $30.85 per month; tobacco user $49.55 per month. A preferred risk female age 30 non-tobacco user would be $26.49 per month and a tobacco user would be $40.96 per month. Rates are higher for older applicants and lower health risks as described online. Pricing is based on input you provide about your medical history but, unlike most other life insurers, does not consider family medical history. Coverage is issued by innovative National Life Group, rated “A” by A.M. Best Company for 2013.
3/11/2013 This page was updated to include a link to the insurance plan that will be used to determine specific “essential health benefits” for insurance that qualified for 2014 federal tax purposes. Also, a link to additional covered benefits required by state law. Non-qualified insurance is likely to continue to be available at a lower cost that does not include these benefits nor qualify for federal tax purposes.
2/1/2012 The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, a division of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)reported that as of June 30, 2011 Lovelace Health System, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico and UnitedHealthcare are the state’s largest health insurance providers and as such, earn the right to set the benchmark for the development of the state’s essential benefit plans to debut in 2014 under health reform law.
7/27/2011 Parents are reminded that the children’s’ health insurance open enrollment period ends on Sunday July 31 so applications should be submitted online before that date. See www.celticenrollment.com for information on Celtic Insurance individual health insurance plans.
2/12/2011 With dozens of health plans choices available online offering a wide range of pricing and benefits, how do you find the best combination of price and benefits? Celtic Insurance realizes that the choices can be overwhelming; the company offers more than 40 possible health plan designs in many parts of the United States. A new feature called “Help Me Choose” lets users easily and quickly select the benefits they value most and narrows the list down to a few of the best choices. No personal information is required other than zip code and date of birth.
1/19/2011 Child-only health insurance for children with significant medical problems will be available through an open enrollment period mandated by federal state law during the month of July. All children, regardless of medical condition, continue to be eligible for insurance when applying as a dependent on a parent’s policy and healthy children are eligible for child-only insurance at any time. When applying for child-only insurance for more than one child, make a separate application for each child.
12/16/2010 New Mexico Department of Human Services officials met representatives of 44 other states and numerous employees of the federal Health and Human Services Department in Washington DC this week for a two-day working meeting to discuss the next steps in establish a government-run health insurance exchange under the American Health Benefit Exchange Model Act. Their attendance at this meeting was paid for by a $1 million federal grant awarded by HHS in September to the state for research how to set up an insurance exchange. Two states (Alaska and Minnesota) declined to participate, saying that it was a waste of taxpayer money. Four other states (not identified in press reports) that received federal grants did not send representatives to the meeting. Attendees included representatives of 16 states that are suing the federal government in an attempt to overturn the federal health reform law; specifically the requirement that forces individuals to buy health insurance on the insurance exchange or pay a hefty tax fine.
In its initial federal grant request for the insurance exchange project, New Mexico said that it would: 1) Fund a financial modeling tool and report, which will identify the population of affected individuals and employers and project the effect of an Exchange(s) on the marketplace, populations of affected individuals, State expenditures and changes in spending by payer, 2) Determine the changed distribution of health insurance coverage by payer and the change in health insurance coverage under all of the federal health care reform measures, 3) Study and begin to implement the details of implementing the Exchange(s), 4) Provide follow-up research and analyses, as suggested by the direction and inquiries made by the Legislature and the incoming Governor, and 5) Consider a regional Exchange for group purchasing or collective IT vendor.
The meeting reportedly did not address the role of the commercial health insurance exchanges on the implementation of new competing government systems. The model act does not address inter-state insurance exchange proposals nor insurance sales across state lines. Federal officials admitted that they may not be able to provide further guidance until 2012. Meanwhile, most states are motivated to continue to meet requirements to obtain additional funding promised by the federal government for the establishment of insurance exchange by 2014. Freedom Benefits has previously voiced the opinion that the huge amount of money being spent to set up alternate insurance sales system technologies could be better used providing health benefits to the public. We proposed on the Universal Health Insurance blog that adequate commercial insurance sales systems are already in place that could be modified in a public/private partnership to make health insurance more affordable.
5/25/2010 UnitedHealthcare campaigns for members in New Mexico: UnitedHealthcare announced a campaign to introduce New Mexico individuals and families into its health insurance plans offered through Golden Rule Insurance Company. Agents and brokers are encouraged to show their clients the two low-priced Health Savings Account plans and five other affordable health plans features in New Mexico. Health insurance is available in three rating classes to accommodate a wide range of applicants: preferred risk, standard and smoker. Family rates are available at les than $250 per month in most areas with secure online enrollment. This promotion runs through June 18.
5/14/2010 Diabetes Coverage: A new resource to help find health insurance for diabetics in New Mexico is now available at Freedom Benefits.