WHEELCHAIR INSURANCE COVERAGE
HB 38 requires New Mexico health insurance plans to cover wheelchairs and activity chairs for individuals with permanent mobility-limiting conditions (such as paralysis, limb loss, or neuromuscular disorders) without more restrictive terms than other medical benefits. The bill mandates coverage equivalent to Medicare standards, including all necessary services like fittings, repairs, replacements, and instruction, while prohibiting separate cost-sharing or lifetime limits for these devices. It also ensures insurers must cover out-of-network providers when in-network options are unavailable and reimburse at in-network rates. This applies to all group health plans under the Health Care Purchasing Act.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Jan 6, 2026
Signed Mar 6, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
HC substitute
→
Final Version
·
6 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends New Mexico's insurance code to require group health plans to cover complex rehabilitation technology devices, prosthetics, and custom orthotics at levels comparable to Medicare coverage. The changes establish specific coverage requirements, including limits on the number of devices covered per person and requirements for reimbursement rates and cost-sharing parity with other medical benefits.
Scope change
The bill expands coverage requirements to specifically include complex rehabilitation technology devices alongside prosthetics and custom orthotic devices, establishing new standards for what must be covered and how.
REQUIREMENT
Added mandatory coverage for complex rehabilitation technology devices in addition to prosthetics and custom orthotics
Changed device quantity limits from three prosthetics/orthotics per limb to allow more than three, and from two complex rehab devices to allow more than two
Added specific coverage requirements for devices used in physical activities like running, biking, and swimming
Added requirement that coverage must not be subject to spending limits or lifetime restrictions
Added requirement that cost-sharing for these devices cannot be more restrictive than cost-sharing for general medical benefits
Added requirement that reimbursement rates must be at least equivalent to Medicare coverage
Floor votes · Senate Feb 19, 2026 · House Feb 14, 2026
How they voted
36–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 38
Feb 19, 2026
D
Democratic22
95% Yea
R
Republican16
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
14
Key actions
8
Committee
5
Mar 6, 2026
Signed into law
Signed
executive
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
passed Senate
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
DO PASS committee report adopted
upper
Feb 15, 2026
Introduced
Sent to Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee
upper
Feb 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
passed House
lower
Feb 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Introduced
Sent to House Health & Human Services Committee
lower
Feb 10, 2026
Lower · Passed
DO PASS committee report adopted
lower
Feb 6, 2026
Lower · Passed
DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute
lower
Jan 26, 2026
Introduced
Sent to House Health & Human Services Committee & House Judiciary Committee
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
not printed House Rules and Order of Business Committee
lower
Jan 6, 2026
Introduced
Sent to House Pre-file
lower
3 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Kathleen Cates
DDemocratic
P
Liz Stefanics
DDemocratic
P
Liz Thomson
DDemocratic
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