Governor Martinez MUST sign Senate Bill 42 by this FRIDAY, April 10th or it will not become law! Please call her office (505-476-2200) and ask her to sign Senate Bill 42!
The call will only take a minute but will have a tremendous impact for New Mexicans!
What is Senate Bill 42?
As you know access to healthcare coverage is a critical component of successful reentry to the community after incarceration.
Senate Bill 42 would require the Human Services Department to stop terminating an individual’s healthcare coverage when they become incarcerated. The bill would also allow unenrolled individuals to apply for Medicaid before release. By doing these two things, this bill is a first step in increasing an individual’s likelihood of successful reentry into the community.
This bill will help reduce recidivism and is likely to save substantial costs. Healthcare coverage is necessary for accessing mental health treatment and medical care. The experiences of other states has shown that people who are enrolled in Medicaid are less likely to be rearrested, and more likely to participate in behavioral health treatment and other health care services than individuals without Medicaid coverage.
Read more: Action-Alert-SB-42-NMCLP-Website-2015-3-31