44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO IMPLEMENT THE INTENT AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES ACT AND REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE REGARDING PROGRESS PURSUANT TO THAT ACT.

WHEREAS, the Long-term Care Services Act requires a coordinated long-term care service delivery system that supports the choice of consumers to remain in their own homes and communities; and

WHEREAS, long-term care home and community-based services remain fragmented and are not fully coordinated by the state agency on aging, the human services department, the children, youth and families department and the department of health; and

WHEREAS, services provided by the state agency on aging, human services department, children, youth and families department and department of health to help support the long-term care needs of consumers are not fully integrated; and

WHEREAS, the number of individuals with chronic care needs continues to increase at an alarming rate; and

WHEREAS, individuals requiring long-term care have little or no access to home health, attendant care, respite care, pre-program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, adult day care, shelter care, transportation and assisted living services; and

WHEREAS, medicaid continues to emphasize direct funding to nursing homes as the primary model for delivering long-term care services even though public and private financing is more effectively used in some home- and community-based programs, thereby serving a greater number of individuals; and

WHEREAS, the unmet long-term care needs of New Mexico's chronic care population has a significant financial impact on the acute care system, the state and the resources of New Mexico families;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the members of the interagency committee on long-term care be informed of the urgent need for a coordinated response to the unresolved long-term care problems in the state; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the coordination of services to long-term care consumers will require the complete compliance of the members of the interagency committee on long-term care with the following requests:

A. to produce and implement immediately an integrated and coordinated long-term care system for disabled and elderly New Mexicans;

B. to develop a comprehensive plan of the integration of state and federal funding streams, presenting the plan to the legislative finance committee by June 1, 2000;

C. to develop and implement consumer-directed pilot projects that provide attendant care, respite care, caregiver support and caregiver training services;

D. to design a model for long-term care services that integrates and enhances private and other public funding streams, including medicare and medicaid, and present that model to the legislative finance committee by September 1, 2000;

E. to recommend options to the executive agencies and the legislative finance committee on how to leverage other private and federal funding for pilot projects in long-term care service provision by September 1, 2001;

F. to address the inadequate home- and community-based service options by developing public and private service providers and report progress on all of the requests addressed in this memorial to the legislative finance committee every quarter, beginning May 1, 2000;

G. to address long-term care insurance and tax credits as mechanisms to ensure private sector participation in long-term care reform; and

H. to incorporate consumer and public input at the interagency committee on long-term care level and make all reports and minutes available to the general public and the legislative finance committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the legislative finance committee and the interagency committee on long-term care.