Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 122, No. 257 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
October 26, 2013
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SATURDAY
Providers to see less uncompensated claims coverage TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
Miercoles, el periódico tendrá una versión de este articulo en español. As part of the remodeling of the Sole Community Provider program into the Safety Net Care Pool in 2014, hospitals enrolled in the program will receive less coverage for uncompensated claims currently reimbursed by Indigent Health Care Services, and more compensation for uncompensated portions of Medicaid claims. Indigent covers claims of
uninsured patients who demonstrate that they cannot cover their health care costs. Most funding for SCP hospitals currently goes toward covering Indigent claims. In Chaves County, Lovelace Health System and Eastern New Mexico Medical Center are enrolled in SCP. The county also sets aside tax revenue to provide Indigent funding to some nonSCP health care providers. La Casa Family Health Center receives more Indigent funding than any other non-SCP health care provider in
Chaves County. Lovelace, ENMMC and La Casa received $4 million, $320,000, and $400,000 in approved funding from Indigent in fiscal year 2013. The funds do not cover 100 percent of uncompensated claims. According to Jeff Dye, chief executive officer of health care advocacy organization New Mexico Hospital Association, uncompensated claims by uninsured patients should theoretically be fewer in the future due to the expansion of Medicaid and subsidization of health insur-
ance plans based on income under federal health reform law the Affordable Care Act. The law goes into effect Jan. 1. “We would all hope that with more people covered by Medicaid and more people covered by exchange insurance, that uncompensated care in total will go down over time. The challenge is in the timing of that,” Dye said. “We believe that is really an unknown and will be happening later rather than sooner.” Increased compensation of Medicaid costs should also
Mark Wilson Photo
Hot air balloons Freestar, foreground, and Phobic light up the night during the Paint the Town Pink Party Health, Fitness & Beauty Expo at the Roswell Convention Center, Friday.
Paint the Town Pink Party festive yet solemn
Joan Park of Capitan said she’s “happy to be alive.” Park, who grew up in Roswell, was vending on After a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, behalf of AndersonBethany Funeral Home at
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
the Paint the Town Pink people care enough to go Party at the Roswell Con- beyond themselves.” vention and Visitors CenThe party is the capter Friday. Her voice cracking, she See PINK, Page A2 said, “It’s an honor to have
ease the financial burdens of the hospitals. Statewide, the SCP program receives about $270 million in funding annually, according to Dye. He said Safety Net is slated to receive $200 million in funds, $69 million of which would go toward uncompensated claims. The rest would go toward increasing coverage rates of Medicaid claims. Depending on the Human Services Department’s final proposal on a new funding scheme, the hospital Indigent program will be replaced by the Uncompensated Care
Pool at some or all hospitals. The UC Pool would cover the same types of claims, but would have less funding. Under one proposal by HSD, the tax revenue most counties contribute to the SCP program would be put toward Safety Net in its entirety. The funds would still be matched by federal money. Rather than the combined funding being sent to county hospitals in direct proportion to the amount of money counties contribute, the
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
locat ion in R oswell, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Alamogordo and Ruidoso.
Fund set up for injured officer
T h e R oswell P olice Department released the n am e of Det e ct ive S er geant Steve Meredith, who was injured on Monday while assisting New Mexico State Police after an officer involved shooting. He was h it b y a p ick u p that was rear -ended by a commercial vehicle resulting in a multi-car pile up near mile marker 90 on US 285 South. The driver of the pickup died after being struck. Meredith, a 17-year veteran with the department, was flown out of state for treatment of his injuries. The police say he is makin g gr e at st rid es in h is recovery. A private entity has started a fund at Pion eer B an k t o h elp t h e family pay the medical bills. Public Information Liaison Sabrina Morales said that those interested in donating to the fund can go to any Pioneer Bank
See COVERAGE, Page A3
Amy Davis Moody said p eop le d o n ot h ave t o specify Meredith by name; all they have to mention is the Roswell police officer or the injured officer, and bank employees will know where to direct the funds.
The Meredith family is grateful for the outpouring of prayers, support, and well-wishes they have r eceived fr om people of the community. They and the Roswell Police Department also want to thank the following agencies who assist ed S gt . M er ed it h an d at t en ded t o h is injuries during the tragic in cid en t , in clu d in g: Native Air, Roswell Fire Department, New Mexico S t a te P olice, C h aves County Sherif f’s Of fice, Texas Department of Public Safety, Lubbock Police Department, Dexter Medical Unit and Texas Parks Department.
Fair makes legal Outreach event serves vets, homeless services accessible JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell’s Legal Fair on Friday was applauded by those who attended. Between 10 and 15 attorneys donated their time from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to help members of the public who cannot normally afford legal services. By 2 p.m, more than 50 people had arrived to take advantage of their legal advice. Areas of concern and expertise included: family law, custody and divorce, employment law, contract law, tenant-landlord relations and debt, personal
injury, foreclosure and probate and real estate. In a previous interview, Judge Steven Bell said the goal of the fair was to make law accessible to those who normally can’t afford an attorney. Resident Christian Valvela complimented the new venue at the Roswell Adult Center. “Last year at the courthouse was too crowded and fast-paced.” He spent nearly 30 minutes with an attor ney. After his consultation, Valvela said: “This is a big weight off my shoulders. See FAIR, Page A2
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Hispano Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Southeast New Mexico Veterans T ransportation Network, Eastern New Mexico UniversityRoswell, New Mexico Workforce Solutions, Goodwill Industries and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, based in Albuquerque, pooled their resources to hold an outreach program, a Stand Down for Homeless Veterans, Friday. The program of fered food, including breakfast and lunch; job counseling; flu shots, along with other health services; and clothing and sleeping bags from
From left: S.O.Y. Mariachi teacher Del Carmona on the guitarron, founder and director of Mariachi Las Alazanas Ivon Loya and her younger sister, Briana, on vihuelas.
HIGH 76 LOW 44
TODAY’S FORECAST
See VETERANS, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
Mary Ann Keegan, homeless for years, has a cup of coffee as her three-legged puppy, Toby, receives attention from Marilyn Nishitani, a nurse practioner from Loveless Regional Hospital, during Stand Down for Homeless Veterans at the Roswell Boys & Girls Club, Friday.
Loya a pioneer of mariachi femenil in Roswell
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
Tess Townsend photo
the Department of Defense Surplus for those vets who will be living rough this winter. David Sena, coordinator for Health Care and Homeless Veterans, said this was the first event of this kind in Roswell, but he hopes it won’t be the last. Health Care and Homeless Veterans provides transitional housing for homeless vets in Albuquerque to help get them on their feet, job training, dental plans and rehabilitation services. Much was discussed about the lack of adequate shelters for the homeless in Roswell. Antonio Nunez of Workforce Solutions Dis-
When Ivon Loya, 19, saw all-female mariachi group Buena Aventura perform at Cielo Grande last April, she was taken with the group.
• IRENE BOWERY MONTGOMERY • VICTOR OAXACA JR.
So inspired she was, the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell student decided to start her own all-female band to play mariachi, a folk music with roots in the Mexican state of Jalisco. “There wasn’t a group here like that,” she said.
• NICHOLAS BURR • BUENAVIDA ADAJAR
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A2
She put up posters around ENMU-R seeking band members and enlisted her two sisters, a cousin and friends to join. By May, Mariachi Las Alazanas was formed. The group has 11 members. The for mation of the group is the culmination of almost a decade of commitment to music for Loya. She began playing guitar at age 10 when she enrolled in classes at mariachi school S.O.Y. Mariachi. The school offers
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B5
COMICS .................B4
ENTERTAINMENT .....A8
free classes taught by volunteer teachers and provides its students with scholarships after they finish high school.
S.O.Y. Mariachi director Bobby Villegas said, “She’s got a lot of talent.”
At 17, Loya picked up the vihuela, a small fivestring instrument that is played similarly to a guitar, but has a higher pitch. She now also studies the See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1 STOCKS .................B3
WEATHER ..............A8