Healthcare

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 257: VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION REIMBURSEMENT

HB 257 appropriates $370,000 from the general fund to New Mexico's Health Care Authority for fiscal year 2027. This funding ensures Medicaid providers receive full reimbursement for delivering vagus nerve stimulation treatment to Medicaid recipients. The bill directly affects Medicaid providers who offer this specific therapy and the Medicaid recipients who receive it. Unspent funds at year-end will revert to the general fund. The measure is a targeted funding allocation, not a policy change to Medicaid eligibility or coverage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $370k from general fund for Medicaid provider reimbursement, funding essential healthcare services without tax changes.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates $370,000 for Medicaid reimbursement of vagus nerve stimulation, directly improving patient access to a specific therapy by ensuring provider reimbursement.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Medicaid

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 209: FIREFIGHTER NO-COST CANCER SCREENING

HB 209 requires group health insurance plans in New Mexico (including self-insured plans) to cover preventive cancer screenings for firefighters without any cost-sharing, such as deductibles or copays. It directly affects firefighters employed by state or local government fire departments, as defined in the bill. The law mandates coverage based on the latest screening guidelines from the International Association of Firefighters, ensuring screenings are fully paid for by the insurer. This policy change is implemented through amendments to the Health Care Purchasing Act, making screenings a mandatory benefit under existing group health coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates no-cost cancer screenings for firefighters via insurance, expanding preventive care access without cost-sharing per bill's coverage requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 151: CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

HB 151 extends the time for New Mexico residents to file civil lawsuits related to childhood sexual abuse. It sets the deadline as the later of the victim's 58th birthday or three years after first disclosing the abuse to a licensed medical or mental health provider. The bill also revives lawsuits barred by previous deadlines on or before July 1, 2026, allowing them to be filed by June 30, 2029. This change removes all other time limits for such cases, making the new deadline the sole applicable statute of limitations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse victims, aligning with criminal justice reform by removing barriers to justice and protecting victim rights.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill requires disclosure to licensed mental health providers to extend statute of limitations, directly linking healthcare access to legal protections for abuse victims.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HM 7: STUDY STATE GOV'T WORK WITHOUT BENEFITS

House Memorial 7 requests a study of New Mexico state government practices that result in long-term employment without standard benefits or protections. The study will examine how agencies classify workers (e.g., as temporary or seasonal) to avoid providing benefits like health insurance, retirement, or job stability, particularly affecting lower-wage public employees in service roles. It will analyze current patterns, fiscal impacts of extending benefits, and equity effects on rural communities before November 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly studies extending health insurance as a key benefit to state workers, identifying it as a gap to address. Focus on analyzing fiscal impacts of providing health insurance benefits aligns with expanding coverage.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 87: OPIOID ADDICTION PREVENTION

SB 87 creates a 5-year "Opioid Addiction Prevention Pilot Project" in New Mexico focused on reducing unnecessary opioid prescriptions after surgery. The bill requires the Department of Health to contract with a qualified third party to implement nurse navigation services - clinically-led, personalized pain management coaching and education for surgical patients and providers - to improve pain control while lowering opioid use. It appropriates $9 million from the opioid crisis recovery fund (2026-2031) for this project, with annual reports to legislative committees tracking surgical cases covered and opioids avoided. The pilot directly affects surgical patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers by changing post-surgery pain management protocols.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $9M from opioid crisis recovery fund to fund prevention program, directly advancing fiscal management of allocated resources for health services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds $9M opioid prevention pilot with nurse navigation services to reduce prescriptions and improve pain management, directly advancing public health initiatives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Substance Abuse

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 249: ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS TAX CREDIT

HB 249 creates a New Mexico tax credit for health care practitioners who adopt digital medical records systems. It allows eligible practitioners (like physicians, nurses, and psychologists) to claim a credit equal to their payments for electronic medical records, up to $6,000 per year, if they meet specific requirements: providing at least 1,584 hours of care annually, working at a small health care institution (employing ≤10 practitioners), and maintaining payment records. The credit is non-refundable and cannot be carried forward if it exceeds tax liability, and practitioners cannot claim it if they already use a separate rural health care tax credit. The credit applies to taxable years starting January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a tax credit ($6,000/year) for healthcare practitioners adopting digital records, providing direct tax relief under taxation policy.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides tax credit to healthcare providers for adopting digital records, improving efficiency and infrastructure - direct support for healthcare modernization.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill provides tax credit to incentivize adoption of electronic medical records systems, directly promoting technology use in healthcare.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits

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passed · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 213: EXPAND OPTOMETRY ACT

HB 213 proposes to expand the scope of practice for optometrists in New Mexico by adding specific minor surgical procedures to the definition of "practice of optometry." The bill would allow optometrists to perform procedures like removing superficial eyelid lesions, foreign bodies from the eye, and certain laser treatments for conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma - previously restricted to ophthalmologists. It also grants the Board of Optometry additional authority to develop certification standards for pharmaceutical use and laser procedures. This change directly affects optometrists in New Mexico by expanding their permitted clinical services without physician supervision. The bill, currently in committee review, does not alter existing exemptions for physicians or eyeglass sellers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands optometrist scope to include minor eye surgeries, improving patient access to eye care services without ophthalmologist referrals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Medical Licensing

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 130: NO COST-SHARING OF CERTAIN DRUGS

SB 130 prohibits copays and deductibles for specific cholesterol-related care under New Mexico health plans. It requires coverage for generic cholesterol medications and coronary artery calcium scans without cost-sharing for adults over 49 with intermediate heart disease risk (determined by medical algorithms), unless they have family history or diagnosed symptoms. The bill also eliminates cost-sharing for second-line cholesterol medications if generic drugs fail or cause adverse reactions. It excludes short-term plans, catastrophic plans, and high-deductible health plans until deductibles are met, as defined by federal law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves cost-sharing for cholesterol treatments and scans, expanding access to essential heart care without financial barriers for specific high-risk patients.95% confidence

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