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Senate advances measure aimed at lowering cost barriers for coronary artery screening
Summary
Senate passed a committee-substitute bill intended to broaden access to coronary artery calcium screening by removing a co-pay for the diagnostic scan; sponsor said the measure targets a leading cause of death and aims to catch disease early.
The New Mexico Senate on March 17 passed a committee substitute for Senate Bill 278, a health-related measure the sponsor described as intended to increase access to coronary artery screening.
Senator Hickey, the sponsor, told colleagues that coronary artery disease causes hundreds of thousands of deaths nationally and is a major driver of health-care spending. "What I'm asking, in this bill is that we eliminate that co pay so that we can detect it," Hickey said on the floor, describing a five-minute coronary artery calcium scan that can detect arterial calcification earlier than more costly tests.
Floor debate was brief. After explanation and closing remarks by the sponsor that emphasized early detection and the comparatively low cost of the scan, the Senate proceeded to final passage. Senators recorded several "no" votes during the roll call; the transcript lists a group of senators who voted no during the hand vote but does not print a single-line final tally in the excerpt.
Supporters argued the bill reduces a financial barrier to a preventive diagnostic test. Some senators questioned whether the overall health system had capacity to act on expanded screening and wanted greater clarity about costs, co-insurance impacts and implementation details with insurers and state health programs.
The bill now advances for further legislative steps.
