Independent analysis shows ugly impacts of ObamaCare on New Mexicans

The Lewin Group, a highly respected health care policy and management consulting firm, has examined the impact of the American Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200).

In New Mexico, the impact of the health care bill on private coverage, the uninsured, physicians and hospitals, as found by the Lewin Group, is as follows:

– 45 percent of privately insured New Mexico residents would transition out of private insurance.
– 51 percent of New Mexico residents with employer-based coverage would lose their current insurance.
– 82 percent of New Mexico residents in a health insurance exchange would end up in the public plan.
– 49 percent of the uninsured in New Mexico would still lack coverage.
– Physicians in New Mexico could see their net annual income decline by $136.7 million, as a consequence of the new public plan.
– Hospitals in New Mexico could have their net annual income fall by about $314.6 million, with hospital total margins dropping to 1 percent.

While the Washington Post attacked the Lewin Group in a recent story, the story was unable to refute the numbers cited above. More importantly, Lewin’s clients include the government and groups with a variety of perspectives, including the left-leaning Commonwealth Fund.

The numbers above should be a wake-up call to those who think that Obamacare will solve our health care problems.