Legislative issues could also raise costs for the industry. On the federal level, health plan liability legislation would allow patients to sue HMOs if they disapprove of the way their HMO handled their case. We're very concerned about that and are actively lobbying against it. Another method several of the HMOs are looking at is to automate their claims processing operations, allowing information to be typed into a linked computer system that processes the information for the HMO and automatically deposits payment to doctors for procedures. Currently such operations are done through several steps, and systems are not linked together.
Efforts are also in place to reduce the number of uninsured patients in New Mexico.
One organization, the New Mexico Health Alliance, which is funded by HMOs and was mandated by the state legislature, helps find cost-effective solutions for small businesses and individuals with no insurance. They offer several affordable plans and contract through the HMOs for care of their customers. We have good plans for people who can't afford to spend a lot of money. But while the Alliance provides some assistance to New Mexico's citizens and small businesses, still 25 to 29 percent of the population remain uninsured. As costs to HMOs continue to rise, the costs to their customers will also continue to rise, which means the problem will likely remain.