On Wednesday's MS NOW Reports, New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez (D) said the state is “well on track to improve the Affordable Care Act” with the Affordability Fund, and Obamacare is working but needs subsidies “so that people in my state and in states across the country can afford health care.” And “do we need to deal with these skyrocketing insurance costs? Of course. That's why I would advocate for a single-payer system, Medicare for All. That's what we need to make sure we can all get affordable health care.”
Martinez stated, “New Mexico, we have a long shot to make the Affordable Care Act better for our communities. Back in 2021, we created what we call the Health Care Affordability Fund, which is funded by an additional tax on private insurance premiums. This fund has over $100 million, and for the last several years, New Mexico has actually had a state subsidy that has been on top of the federal subsidy and has reached all kinds of communities here in New Mexico.” including our immigrant community, New Mexico is really looking forward to this. Now, given the inaction of Congress and the brutality of Trump and Johnson in Congress, New Mexico has committed to fully covering these federal subsidies this calendar year and the next. And we are willing to do whatever we have to do to make sure healthcare is affordable for our people.”
He added: “Obamacare works. It has worked for millions of people over the last ten years or so. All they have to do is do the right thing and expand these subsidies so that people in my state and in states across the country can afford health care.”
Martinez concluded: “For my constituents in my district and for people throughout the state of New Mexico, where I travel all the time in this role, I hear that Obamacare is working for them, there is no doubt about it. Now, do we need to control these skyrocketing insurance costs? Of course. That's why I would advocate for a single payer system, Medicare for All. That's what we need to ensure that we can all get affordable health care. But short of that, Obamacare works.”
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