Healthcare (Primary Care)

This House Memorial expresses support for expanding the scope of practice for certified advanced practice chiropractors in New Mexico to include primary care services. It aims to address the state's primary care shortage - especially in rural and underserved areas - by allowing chiropractors who already have advanced training and limited prescriptive authority to provide primary care under a two-tiered certification system developed by the New Mexico Chiropractic Association. The memorial urges the chiropractic board to establish standards for training and oversight to ensure safe care delivery, without creating new legal authority for chiropractors. As a non-binding memorial, it does not change existing law but encourages regulatory development.

HB 306 prohibits hospitals from charging patients facility fees for preventive care, vaccinations, and telehealth services starting January 1, 2027. It exempts critical access hospitals, rural sole community hospitals, and emergency department services (both hospital-based and freestanding). The bill requires hospitals to notify patients about potential facility fees before appointments and during care, display bilingual signage, and provide itemized bills showing these charges. Hospitals must also report facility fee data to the state's All-Payer Claims Database for transparency and analysis.

HB 85 creates a program to increase healthcare providers in New Mexico's underserved areas by offering loan repayment and loan-for-service agreements. It establishes a Medical Provider Recruitment Trust Fund (initially funded with $5 million from the general fund) that invests money and distributes 5% of its annual value to a separate Program Fund. This Program Fund, supported by an additional $1 million annual appropriation, provides financial assistance to physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses who agree to work in designated underserved communities. Priority is given to applicants who graduated from New Mexico state universities or bordering states universities and to those specializing in primary care.

SB 81 allocates $25 million from the general fund to the New Mexico Finance Authority for primary care capital projects, such as facility construction or equipment upgrades. This funding directly supports primary care facilities (like clinics and community health centers) across New Mexico by providing capital resources. The bill specifies that unspent funds from this allocation will not return to the general fund at year-end, ensuring continued availability for future projects. The appropriation is set for fiscal year 2027 and subsequent years, enabling long-term planning for primary care infrastructure needs.

SB 10 creates New Mexico's Health Training Corps within the Department of Health to address healthcare shortages in underserved areas. The bill establishes a stipend program paying experienced health professionals $100 per hour (max $10,000 annually) for training health students and newly licensed providers at designated health training sites. It appropriates $3 million for the program to recruit preceptors, cover stipends, and provide support, with funds remaining available year-to-year. The initiative directly affects preceptors, health professional students, and newly licensed providers working in underserved communities, prioritizing behavioral health, primary care, and obstetrics/gynecology services.