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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Chavez		DATE TYPED:	1/25/00		HB	55
SHORT TITLE:		Border Health Services Program				SB
					ANALYST:		Esquibel

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY00	FY01	FY00	FY01	Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
50.0*				Recurring	General Fund

*These funds would be available in FY00 and FY01.

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Border Authority did not respond

Department of Health

Health Policy Commission

Human Services Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

The bill appropriates $50.0 to the Department of Health's (DOH) border health office for a border health services program in Luna county to provide emergency medical services and hospital emergency services for persons who have no other source of payment for such services.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The bill appropriates $50.0 in general fund in FY00 and FY01 to DOH.

The Health Policy Commission indicates the following:

•State law specifies that counties have a responsibility for the provision of health care services for their own medically indigent through the County Indigent Fund program. In state FY99, Luna county's County Indigent Fund balance increased from approximately $146.0 to $190.0;

•Luna county contributed $95.0 to the Sole Community Provider Hospital Fund which, with the federal funds match, resulted in over $351.0 being received by their hospital for indigent care;

•Luna county determines its own eligibility requirements and covered services eligible for funding under the County Indigent Fund program and the Sole Community Provider Hospital Fund program;

•By federal law, hospitals are required to provide emergency services and care regardless of the residency (includes nationality) or financial status of an individual;

•New Mexico law allows a 50% deduction from gross receipts tax for profit-generating hospitals, and not-for-profit hospitals receive tax exemptions as well, in recognition of the "charity care" provided by these facilities; and

•Community health centers are funded by both state and federal funds to provide primary care services to all individuals.

RAE/njw