NOTE: As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used in any other situation.

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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB2/HAFCS, SB2, HB23, SB139

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

NM Health Policy Commission

Department of Health did not respond

Human Services Department did not respond

Children, Youth and Families Department did not respond

Office of Indian Affairs did not respond

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

The bill appropriates $100.0 to contract for a demographer to develop an ongoing method to determine the number of Native American children, their location and eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance program (SCHIP); and $500.0 to fund children's health boards in tribal areas to guide the Native American component of SCHIP Phase 2 including a needs assessment and resource inventory.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The bill appropriates $600.0 in general fund in FY01 to the Department of Health (DOH).

CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP

The bill relates to HB2/HAFCS, SB2, and HB23 which already contain funding for SCHIP Phase 1, various local health planning initiatives in DOH, funding for UNM-BBER for demographic/census work, and several other bills appropriating funds for children's health including Native American special needs children (SB139).

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The Health Policy Commission indicates SCHIP Phase 2 was not approved by the federal Health Care Financing Administration and as such does not exist.

The Health Policy Commission also suggests the following alternatives to the bill:

• •rely on census data;
• •use existing state programs to conduct local health planning and needs assessment such as maternal and child health councils; and
• •tribes/pueblos could fund the health boards and/or the Indian Health Service could assist with this function.

RAE/gm