Community Announcement
Important information for folks who have insurance plans through the NM healthcare insurance exchange, BeWellNM.
What is happening?
Several organizations and entities have received information that as of January 2026, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBS) and United Healthcare plans on the state based New Mexico exchange may no longer cover gender affirming care for plan members of any age.
What are your options?
The open enrollment period for insurance selection on the NM exchange BeWellNM is available until January 15th. Until the end of open enrollment you may review your benefits and change your plan if it no longer works for your healthcare needs.
Choosing an insurance plan is a complex decision which requires the consideration of many things, including the availability of network providers in your area and costs.
There are only two days left of this period, so now is an important time to review your benefits and see if your plan works for your healthcare needs in 2026!
What to do:
Figure out if this decision impacts your plan.
Call current and prospective providers to see what plans they take.
Review your insurance plan documents to see things like co-pays, coinsurance, pharmacy and lab coverage.
Have questions about your plan or are not sure? You can find contact information for insurance brokers at:
Make decisions before the open enrollment period closes. If you decide to make a plan change, you must do it by Jan 15th, 2025.
After this date, you can enroll in or change plans only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
The future:
Advocates are working to try to ensure this care is covered in future plan years, including 2027. The future is uncertain, but folks are working.
Things to know:
If you are unsure if this will impact you, try to get more information.
This information was raised and brought by concerned community members. It should not be interpreted as legal advice or direct advice on determining what plan is right for you.
This may or may not impact employer based plans that are governed by other healthcare plans.
Things are continuously changing and we are gaining access to new information all the time. These changes are deeply impacting trans and gender expansive people and our communities overall. We can get through these uncertain times by caring for each other in little and big ways.