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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR M.H. Garcia
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/19/2007
HB 144
SHORT TITLE Dona Ana High-Risk Perinatal Care
SB
ANALYST Geisler
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$200.0
Recurring
General
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates: SB 143
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Department of Health
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 144 would appropriate two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) from the general
fund to the Department of Health for expenditure in fiscal year 2008 to provide payment for
perinatal services, including prenatal, delivery and postnatal, for uninsured low-income pregnant
women with high-risk conditions in Dona Ana County. Any unexpended or unencumbered bal-
ance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 would revert to the general fund.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
This appropriation would build upon $100,000 appropriation received for FY07 for this program
which is contained in the base budget recommendation for both the LFC and executive for FY08.
DOH notes that Medicaid’s standard fee schedule for perinatal care is $1229.53, or with a cesar-
ean section, $1456.22. At these rates, a $200,000 appropriation would cover perinatal care for
approximately 157 women.
pg_0002
House Bill 144 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
DOH provides that perinatal services include care before and after a birth. In 2004, 3,315 infants
were born to Dona Ana County residents. Of their mothers, 20.4%, or 633, had low level prena-
tal care, or no prenatal care. (New Mexico Selected Health Statistics Annual Report 2004). In-
adequate use of prenatal care has been linked with increased risk for poor health of the infant,
including low birth weight and risk of premature birth, infant mortality, as well as maternal mor-
tality (NM PRAMS Surveillance Report – 1999 Live Births). For women with high-risk condi-
tions, there are higher rates of these problems; the need for tests, treatments and other services is
greater; and the cost of perinatal care is higher.
DUPLICATION
House Bill 144 is duplicated by Senate Bill 143.
GG/sb