Anthony Moreno

The New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee Third Quarter Report Card gave a low rating to the State Health Benefit Program.

The New Mexico LFC Report States, “The program is not currently pursuing strategies to preserve benefit quality, and control costs outside of increasing premiums and requiring greater cost sharing plans with employees.”

State employee health benefits have risen fifteen percent along with a three-hundred fifty dollar annual deductible.

In the December 2012 Edition of the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee Newsletter it stated, “The State Employee Benefit Fund is scheduled to run out of money in 2014 unless premiums are raised and benefits are cut.”

The state fund covers nearly 75,000 people if you include employees and dependents.

In that same newsletter it also said that A.J. Forte was appointed division manager of the health benefits fund. Forte is the third director of Risk Management under the current administration.

Health Benefits have risen for New Mexico State Employees. Starting today, rate premiums will rise 15 percent. That rise is likely to affect over 70,000 people covered by the state plan.

A new plan design will also take effect with deductibles increasing from $150 dollars to $350 annually. The out of pocket max will also rise from 3,000 to $3,500.

The State employee insurance plan also is moving to a calendar year, making the current deductible $175 for the rest of 2013. In January, the annual deductible will be $350 dollars.

On this 69th anniversary of D-Day, we listen to a message that (then) General Dwight D. Eisenhower sent to Allied Forces prior to the Invasion of Normandy. We also hear part of a KRWG-TV interview with World War Two Veteran Felix Provencio from Mesilla, who shares his memories of landing on a beach in Normandy days after the invasion. 

Fronteras-A Changing America interview with Mr. Felix Provencio. 

http://www.krwg.org/post/veteran-felix-g-provencio