HOUSE MEMORIAL 31

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Joseph Franklin Hernandez and Mark Duncan

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY TO REEVALUATE CERTAIN HOME HEALTH SERVICE DISTANCE LIMITATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE IN RURAL, FRONTIER AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

 

     WHEREAS, home health agencies play a critical role in delivering medically necessary skilled nursing, therapy and supportive services that allow New Mexico residents to receive care in their homes rather than in institutional settings; and

     WHEREAS, the health care authority's current administrative rules limit a home health agency to serving patient-clients who reside within one hundred miles of the agency's licensed location; and

     WHEREAS, this limitation creates administrative and operational burdens for home health agencies, particularly those serving large geographic areas with sparse populations, limited infrastructure and workforce shortages; and

     WHEREAS, the reauthorization of the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is expected to increase demand for home health services among uranium miners and millers, many of whom reside in remote frontier areas and on Navajo Nation tribal lands; and

     WHEREAS, these communities already face significant barriers to accessing health care services due to geographic isolation, transportation challenges and limited availability of providers; and

     WHEREAS, the current distance-based limitation on home health services creates a regulatory barrier that may unintentionally limit access to medically necessary care for eligible patients in these underserved regions; and

     WHEREAS, the personal care services program administered by the health care authority allows providers to serve patients in any county within one hundred miles of a provider's main or branch office, offering a more flexible and access-oriented regulatory framework; and

     WHEREAS, aligning the health care authority's rules governing home health service with existing personal care service policies would promote consistency across programs while maintaining appropriate oversight and quality standards;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the health care authority be requested to reevaluate the administrative rules governing home health agency service areas, including the rule that limits a home health agency to serving patient-clients who reside within one hundred miles of the agency's licensed location; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this reevaluation prioritize improving access to home health services for rural, frontier and tribal communities, including populations impacted by radiation exposure; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of health care authority, the governor and the legislative health and human services committee.

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