45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

REQUESTING THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO STUDY THE COST AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALLOWING LICENSED NUTRITIONISTS TO BECOME MEDICAID PROVIDERS AND TO BILL INDEPENDENTLY FOR THEIR SERVICES.

WHEREAS, there are an estimated thirty-one thousand six hundred New Mexico school children with documented, chronic health problems who would benefit from access to nutrition

services within their communities; and

WHEREAS, providing nutrition care to children who are at risk of developing obesity and type two diabetes nationwide could save as much as one hundred billion dollars, and could potentially save a significant amount of money in the New Mexico medicaid budget; and

WHEREAS, the direct cost of medical care and the indirect costs of lost productivity and early death from diabetes totaled seven hundred sixty-two million four hundred thousand dollars ($762,400,000) in New Mexico in 1997; and

WHEREAS, nutrition professionals in New Mexico are unable to obtain independent provider numbers and provide services under the medicaid program; and

WHEREAS, currently, eligible providers do not contract with nutrition professionals to provide services to medicaid beneficiaries in urban or rural areas due to low reimbursement rates for nutrition services; and

WHEREAS, hospitals typically offer inpatient nutrition services, but do not offer outpatient nutrition services;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the human services department be requested to study the cost and health benefits of allowing licensed nutritionists to become independent medicaid providers and bill for their services and to make appropriate regulatory changes to facilitate this change; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the human services department specifically consider earmarking funding for nutrition services within the medicaid program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the human services department report its findings and recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee at its October 2002 meeting; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be sent to the human services department, to various nutrition partnerships groups and associations and to the legislative health and human services committee.