Open enrollment for health insurance in New Mexico runs through December 7 for Medicare and through January 15 for New Mexico health insurance plans.
Updated November 8, 2023.
The New Mexico Black Leadership Council has the breakdown on open enrollment and health insurance in New Mexico.
What Is Open Enrollment
Open enrollment is when you can change your health care plan for the following year or sign up for healthcare benefits for the first time. It happens every year in the November / December timeframe and affects health insurance benefits for the following year. Open enrollment for 2024 healthcare coverage in New Mexico is happening now for coverage beginning January 1.
For New Mexicans who do not have insurance through an employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or another federal program, the place to go to look for healthcare plans is beWellNM. beWellNM was established under the Affordable Care Act passed under the Obama administration.
New Mexico Residents on Medicare
Open enrollment for Medicare runs now through December 7th. Medicare recipients can change health plans for 2024. Those happy with their current plan don’t need to re-enroll.
Enrollees can also sign up for a Part D prescription plan to cover prescriptions, which basic Medicare doesn’t cover. Other options are a Medicare Supplemental Plan and a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage plans offer original Medicare plus additional benefits such as prescription coverage in one plan.
To find out more about Medicare, go to medicare.gov. This is the legit, official website for Medicare.
VIDEO. Watch this tutorial on how to search for a Medicare Advantage Plan:
People qualifying for Medicare for the first time can sign up during the period three months before and three months after the month they turn 65. After qualifying for the first time, enrollees have three months after their effective date to change their plan if they don’t like it.
VIDEO. Watch the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department’s presentation on Medicare open enrollment.
One of the best resources for help getting Medicare are the federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), where trained volunteers can help you compare plans. New Mexico’s SHIP is administered by the New Mexico Aging & Disability Resource Center (NMADRC) which is part of the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department. SHIP offers planning tools, in person counseling events, call assistance, and appointments.
Editor’s Note: I recently attended one of these in person events and it was totally worth the drive and hour-long wait (bring something to read!). The counselor gave me information specific to my situation that wasn’t obvious from the packet I received in the mail.
To get help with Medicare in New Mexico, contact the New Mexico Aging & Disability Resource Center at 1-800-432-2080 or at www.aging.nm.gov.
Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
Each pharmacy negotiates drug costs with their suppliers, so the cost of your drugs can vary from pharmacy to pharmacy. That’s why it’s advantageous to go through the prescription drug comparison exercise on the Medicare website. The following tutorial shows how to do that, step-by-step.
VIDEO. Watch this tutorial on how to choose a Medicare drug plan:
Medicare Fraud Alert
Be on the alert for Medicare scams. Medicare will never call to ask you for your Medicare number. Treat your Medicare and social security numbers like you would a credit card. If you suspect Medicare fraud, call NMADRC at 1-800-432-2080.
BeWellNM Health Insurance in New Mexico
New Mexico residents who don’t have medical insurance through an employer, Medicare, or Medicaid, can sign up for a health insurance plan on the New Mexico beWellnm health exchange. Providers offering plans on the beWellnm exchange are listed below:
- Ambetter from Western Sky Community Care
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico
- Molina Health Care of New Mexico, Inc.
- Presbyterian Health Plan
Many New Mexicans qualify for insurance at low to no-cost plans. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Biden in 2022, lowers prescription drug costs and health care costs. Find out more about affordable health care plans in New Mexico,
For more information on New Mexico Health insurance providers, go to https://www.bewellnm.com/getting-started/tips-on-choosing-a-qualified-health-plan/
To get help choosing a plan and going through the enrollment process, schedule an appointment with a beWellnm insurance broker: https://www.bewellnm.com/certified-assister/
Editor’s note: Contacting an insurance broker is very helpful for finding what plans are available, the plan that best suits your needs, and what tax credits you qualify for.
Mental Health Care for New Mexicans
New legislation provides expanded mental health resources for New Mexicans on the state health care exchange. This means there is no out-of-pocket cost for mental health services for those on a beWellnm health care plan. This is a result of Senate Bill “No Behavioral Health Cost Sharing” bill signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham. The bill prohibits health insurers on state administered plans from charging consumers for behavioral health services. It’s in effect through 2026.
Losing Healthcare Coverage
If you currently have health insurance but end up losing it for some reason, you can sign up for insurance on the beWellnm exchange outside of the open enrollment period. Or, if you become newly eligible for insurance, you can also sign up outside of open enrollment. This is called a Special Enrollment Period due to a qualifying event. Losing health insurance coverage, getting married, having a baby, or becoming a U.S. citizen are qualifying events. In this case, you must sign up within sixty (60) days of the date of the qualifying event.
How to Get Started with Open Enrollment for Health Insurance
Open enrollment for a New Mexico state health plan runs through January 15th. To sign up for health insurance on the state health exchange beWellnm, go to https://www.bewellnm.com/enrollment/open-enrollment/
Open enrollment for Medicare runs through December 7. To get help signing up for Medicare in New Mexico, go to https://aging.nm.gov/consumer-elder-rights/aging-disability-resource-center-adrc/medicare
Or to the federal Medicare website: https://www.medicare.gov/
New Mexico Conference on Aging
The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department is holding a two day conference designed to help seniors, caregivers,and specialists learn and network. It’s November 13 & 14, 2023, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Learn more about the New Mexico Conference on Aging.
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Shannon Moreau is the Editor of the NMBLC EQ Blog