SENATE BILL 101

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2020

INTRODUCED BY

Michael Padilla

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE; ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM FOR REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING; PROVIDING FOR RULEMAKING; REQUIRING A STRATEGIC PLAN AND REPORT; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Department of Health Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] REMOTE PATIENT HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM CREATED--DUTIES--STRATEGIC PLAN AND REPORT.--

          A. The department shall develop and implement a remote patient monitoring pilot program beginning in fiscal year 2021 for two counties with significant populations of eligible remote patients who have increased health risk due to chronic illness as well as alcohol or substance abuse. The department shall use the pilot program to create a baseline for the public health benefits and the costs of establishing a statewide program to provide remote monitoring of vital health indicators for at-risk patients.

          B. The department shall establish by rule:

                (1) a definition of "at-risk patient" based on health conditions, including substance use disorders, that can be addressed with significant benefits to the patient through intermittent remote reporting of vital health indicators to the patient's health care provider;

                (2) a definition of "remote patient" based on the physical distance of a patient's residence from health care facilities or other factors that physically limit a patient's access to health care services;

                (3) a definition of "eligible remote patient" based on a patient's physical access to health care services and the patient's level of at-risk health conditions;

                (4) a list of vital health indicators that may be determined by an average person without medical training through the use of electronic or mechanical equipment and that would allow a medical professional to determine if a remote patient needs to visit a health care facility; and

                (5) the requirements for equipment that could be used by a patient in the patient's home to determine vital health indicators and to transmit those indicators to a health care provider.

          C. The department may provide equipment for the remote monitoring, transmittal and reception of vital health indicators to eligible at-risk patients either through the county governments participating in the remote patient monitoring pilot program or directly to program participants provided that:

                (1) the department shall retain ownership of the equipment; and

                (2) provision of the equipment shall be by a contract with the recipient that provides for its timely return to the department. The department shall establish by rule the requirements for return of the equipment, including the condition in which the recipient must maintain the equipment until it is returned.

          D. The department shall develop a statewide strategic plan to provide remote monitoring of vital health indicators for at-risk patients who live in remote locations or otherwise lack immediate access to health care services. The department shall provide a report summarizing the plan to the legislative finance committee and the legislative health and human services committee by November 30, 2020. The report shall include:

                (1) the administrative structure required to implement a statewide health monitoring program in partnership with medical professionals for remote at-risk patients;

                (2) the staffing requirements needed to implement the statewide remote health monitoring program, including expertise and professional requirements as well as the numbers of full-time-equivalent employees;

                (3) the types and numbers of monitoring, transmitting and receiving equipment that would be required by patients and health care providers to enable remote monitoring of vital health indicators; and

                (4) the varying costs and public health benefits of establishing a program that would serve fifty percent, seventy-five percent and one hundred percent of the estimated population of eligible remote at-risk patients."

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATIONS.--

          A. The following amounts are appropriated from the general fund to the department of health for expenditure in fiscal year 2021 for the following purposes:

                (1) three million four hundred thousand dollars ($3,400,000) to develop and implement a pilot program for remote monitoring of vital health indicators for eligible at-risk patients in two counties;

                (2) three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) to develop a strategic plan and report for statewide remote monitoring of vital health indicators for at-risk patients; and

                (3) six million five hundred thousand dollars ($6,500,000) to purchase equipment to remotely monitor, transmit and receive vital health indicators for eligible at-risk patients in two counties; provided that if severance tax bond funding is provided for this purpose, the amount of this appropriation shall be reduced by the same amount as provided in the severance tax bond legislation.

          B. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2021 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2020.

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