Influx of federal funding will create nearly 40,000 jobs when Act is fully implemented

PRESS RELEASE
June 14, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Sharon Kayne, Communications Director, NM Voices for Children, 505-244-9505 

ALBUQUERQUE—Federal health care reform, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), will generate more than $18 billion in economic activity in New Mexico by 2020. That economic activity will include the creation of 38,000 jobs—in the health care sector and beyond.

That’s the conclusion of the report “The Economic Benefits of Health Care Reform in New Mexico” by New Mexico Voices for Children. The report is being released today in conjunction with the meeting of the Legislature’s interim Health and Human Services committee.

“The key message here is that New Mexico should take full advantage of health care reform not only as a means of extending health coverage to those who cannot currently afford it, but also as a way of strengthening the economy and putting more New Mexicans to work,” said Bill Jordan, Policy Director for NM Voices.

“The state Legislature has been very good about funding our Medicaid program even when times have been tough. It’s especially important now that we sustain our commitment to children, seniors, and the disabled,” he added.

The report uses the same modeling software to estimate the economic impact of federal spending that NM Voices has used in previous reports on the impact of federal dollars via the Medicaid and Food Stamp programs.

The full report is available online here.

This report was generously funded by First Focus, Voices for America’s Children, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The use of IMPLAN software was made possible by funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as part of our State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) work.

###

New Mexico Voices for Children is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advocating for policies to improve the health and well-being of New Mexico’s children, families and communities.
2340 Alamo SE, Suite 120, Albuquerque, NM 87106-3523; 505-244-9505 (p); www.nmvoices.org