Amy Dowd Explains How Having a State-Based Exchange Benefited New Mexico

Having a state exchange has allowed even those in the most remote locations of New Mexico to gain assistance with their insurance, said Amy Dowd, CEO of beWellnm.

Transcript (modified)

How has having a state exchange benefited the residents and hospitals of New Mexico?

New Mexico is a very rural state so without having a state-based exchange we wouldn’t have been able to provide access to New Mexicans in the most remote locations. And we still have work to do: we still have to reach those individuals who haven’t heard about the exchange, who don’t know that they’re eligible for assistance with their premium, and who just need additional information and support with the process.

But really without a state-based exchange, we wouldn’t have been able to reach that diverse and rural population. And we have significantly reduced the uninsured population in New Mexico, both through enrollment in the exchange as well as through the Medicaid expansion program.