A. The legislature finds that twenty-five percent of New Mexicans have no health insurance. When such individuals suffer a catastrophic illness, the large hospital bills that are incurred can often result in indigency for that sick person and his family.
B. The purpose of the Indigent Catastrophic Illness Hospital Funding Act [ 27-2-41 to 27-2-47 NMSA 1978] is to reduce the impact of medical indigency on the cost of health care in New Mexico by providing for payment of some portion of large hospital bills incurred by medically indigent patients.