Healthcare

House Passes Bill To Stabilize Healthcare Affordability Fund

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House Majority Whip Reena Szczepanski

NMDP News:

SANTA FE — The House of Representatives approved important legislation Thursday to ensure affordable health insurance plans remain available for tens of thousands of New Mexicans by a bipartisan vote of 51-14.

House Bill 7 would allow for ongoing, stable distributions to the Healthcare Affordability Fund, so the important programs it funds can continue.

The Affordability Fund, which was created in 2021, has helped tens of thousands of New Mexicans afford quality health insurance coverage on the Exchange and created an avenue for thousands Read More

LAMC Announces Next Quarter Of Employee Champions!

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Los Alamos Medical Center congratulates Cassandra Robinson, left, and Lana Vigil on being named Employee Champions. Courtesy/LAMC

LAMC News:

Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC) is congratulating Cassandra Robinson and Lana Vigil on being named Employee Champions of the Quarter for the final two quarters of 2023. The pair was recently honored at a beautiful celebratory breakfast. This program is the hospital’s way to recognize exceptional employees who uphold their core values.

Robinson is a highly knowledgeable IT Support Tech who is kind, patient and always willing to follow up to ensure Read More

NM House Passes Prescription Drug Transparency Act

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Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Albuquerque)

NMDP News:

SANTA FE — Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass House Bill 33, the Prescription Drug Transparency Act, which would increase price transparency within the prescription drug supply chain. 

HB 33 would require manufacturers, health insurers, pharmacy benefits managers, and pharmacy services administrative organizations to report prescription drug prices and trends to the New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) annually. 

OSI would then compile an annual report on its findings, present it Read More

Skolnik: Reducing The Harms Of Alcohol In New Mexico – Critical Next Steps

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

The House Taxation and Revenue Committee will decide in the next few days between two bills that address alcohol. One is evidence-based and takes account of best practice and would likely be very helpful in reducing alcohol consumption and raising additional revenues to address the harms of alcohol. The other bill is not based on best practice and would either lower the costs of alcohol for some groups, leading to an increase in consumption, or provide the alcohol industry with a $50 million windfall. I have just sent the letter below to the Committee. It takes account Read More

DEA Announces $19 Million Settlement With Morris & Dickson Co. On Failure To Report Thousands Of Unusually Large Orders Of Oxycodone And Hydrocodone

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DEA News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a settlement with pharmaceutical distributor Morris & Dickson Co., LLC for failing to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances, including failure to report to DEA thousands of unusually large orders of oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Morris & Dickson, which owned and operated two distribution centers registered with the DEA as distributors of Schedules II-V controlled substances, has admitted to all wrongdoing previously determined by the DEA Administrator and will Read More

Los Alamos Senior Center & The Family YMCA Collaborate To Help Seniors Get Fit

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Los Alamos YMCA is partnering with LARSO to offer personal training sessions. Courtesy/LARSO

LARSO News:

Envisioning a senior strength training is pretty far from the vision of a senior sitting in a rocking chair. However, lifting weights is important for anyone over 60.

Did you know that after 50, muscle tone declines by 15 percent each decade, and eventually you become more prone to poor balance and falling. In fact, falls and fractures are one of the main causes for hospitalization for seniors. When a senior falls, it is the gateway to losing their independence. All seniors should consider Read More

State’s Health Councils Facing Loss In Funds Provide Boots-On-The-Ground Approach

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Ninety-year-old Anacita Tenorio works through tai chi forms during a class at the Santo Domingo Pueblo Senior Center on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. The class, taught by Eric Bailon, falls under the Health Organization Partnership Advisory Coalition — Santo Domingo’s health council. Jim Weber/The New Mexican

By GABRIELLE PORTER
The Santa Fe New Mexican

When Timothy Eric Bailon was hired in 2021 to run point on a program trying to cut back on the risk of elder falls in Santo Domingo Pueblo, a single memory came rushing back to him.

It was from 2016, when Bailon was working a stint as a tribal official on

Read More

Committee Votes To Send Paid Leave To Full Senate

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BY NATHAN Brown
The Santa Fe New Mexican

A paid family and medical leave bill is a step closer to becoming law in New Mexico.

Senate Bill 3, which would create a program funded by contributions from all workers and larger employers to give employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave, passed out of the Senate Finance Committee on a 6-5 vote Saturday morning. Committee Chairman Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, joined the panel’s four Republicans to vote against the bill and sided with them on a couple of procedural votes beforehand meant to block the proposal.

The bill, whose sponsors include Senate President Read More

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Approves New Mexico’s Petition To List PFAS As A Hazardous Substance

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NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney

NMED News:

Listing provides full authority to require cleanup of PFAS-contaminated sites

SANTA FE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two new proposed rules today to ensure that certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” are classified as hazardous waste under federal law.

This action is in direct response to a petition from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to take bold action on the emerging threat that communities in New Mexico and across the nation face from decades of use of forever Read More