The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports a health care system that provides a comprehensive level of health care for New Mexico residents and recognizes the need for efficient management of health care costs.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.

Every New Mexico resident should have a comprehensive level of health care. The League favors a national health insurance plan, but until one is in place, the League supports expansion of state and federal plans. (Revised and adopted 2005.)

LWVNM believes that any health system implemented should have the following:

1. Quality health coverage for all New Mexicans: Every New Mexican should have full health care coverage, a benefit package that is at least equal to the best plan offered to state employees, and access to the services covered. Participation should be mandatory. Pre-existing conditions should not be excluded from coverage.
2. “Seamless” coverage and continuity of care, to the extent possible, regardless of changes in life circumstances such as change in employment, marital status, financial status, or health status.
3. Effective cost management: Cost management should increase the health care benefits that accrue to patients from any given level of spending. Cost and pricing data from private and government sources should be transparent.
4. Improvement of health care quality and safety: A comprehensive effort to improve the quality and safety of health care in New Mexico should be launched and sustained, with dramatically increased public funding.
5. Equitable funding: Reform should seek to reduce or eliminate cost-shifting across categories of insurance programs and payers, both public and private, and to make the distribution of financial burdens more equitable. Billing should be comprehensible and transparent.
6. No one should be forced into poverty because of medical needs. (Adopted 2017.)
7. Simplified administration: Reform should include the development of standardized forms, minimization of complicated co-pays/deductibles, and assurances of timely payment to providers. (Adopted 2007.)

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico:

1. believes state laws should grant the option for terminally ill people to request medical assistance from a licensed physician to end their lives;
2. believes such legislation should provide safeguards against abuse for the dying and/or medical personnel.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico (LWVNM) expects state and local governments to support an adequately funded mental health care system that provides comprehensive services to the acutely, chronically and seriously mentally ill of all ages; maintains optimal mental health services for all clients; places emphasis on meeting the needs of children; offers mental health services for the homeless; seeks additional funds for preventive services; implements a master plan to integrate services; raises awareness of critical unmet needs; and emphasizes case management.

LWVNM specifically supports

1. Adequately funded mental health care systems that
   1. provide comprehensive services to the acutely, chronically and seriously mentally ill of all ages;
   2. place emphasis on meeting the needs of children;
   3. seek additional funds to provide preventive services;
   4. offer mental health services for the homeless;
   5. maintain optimum mental health services for all clients.
2. Implementation of a master plan that
   1. ensures that there will be a network of integrated services, clearly defined and consistent with a community support model;
   2. advocates an awareness of and concern about the critical unmet needs;
   3. emphasizes case management that includes assistance with housing, financial entitlements, rehabilitative and vocational programs.
3. Centers for the seriously and chronically mentally ill apart from the county system.
4. Regulations that provide an adequate length of time for evaluation and treatment of involuntary holds.
5. Model mandatory outpatient care programs with adequate supervisory staff.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico supports every woman’s right to access affordable, high-quality reproductive health care, including access to abortion services and birth control.

LWVNM supports:

• reproductive rights — including access to abortion — as a health care issue decided by a woman and her health care provider
• birth control as well as access to publicly funded family planning services.

LWVNM opposes:

• statutory and regulatory restrictions on birth control and/or abortion.