SENATE BILL 392

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Jeff Steinborn and Elizabeth "Liz" Stefanics

and Angel M. Charley and Cindy Nava and Natalie Figueroa

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO HOSPITALS; ENACTING A NEW SECTION OF THE HOSPITAL FUNDING ACT; REQUIRING A COUNTY HOSPITAL OR CONTRACTING HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE A STANDARD OF CARE OR SERVICES FOR PATIENTS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; REQUIRING AFFORDABLE PAYMENT PLANS FOR PATIENTS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Hospital Funding Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] COUNTY HOSPITALS AND CONTRACTING HOSPITALS--CARE AND SERVICES REQUIRED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES--PAYMENT PLANS REQUIRED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.--

          A. A county hospital or contracting hospital shall provide a patient with a standard of care or services for their location and an affordable payment plan for treatment for a life-threatening condition, including cancer, that places the patient's health in serious jeopardy, causes serious impairment to bodily function or causes serious dysfunction of any bodily organ if the county hospital or contracting hospital is the only provider of the care or services needed to treat the patient's condition in the county where the patient resides, as soon as the patient provides the hospital the documentation necessary for the hospital to validate that the following circumstances have occurred:

                (1) the patient does not have commercially provided health insurance through an employer or private insurance plan;

                (2) the patient does not qualify for medicare or a state medicaid program;

                (3) the patient's health insurance coverage is not accepted by the county hospital or contracting hospital or the patient is uninsured;

                (4) the patient is ineligible for county indigent programs; and

                (5) the patient is ineligible for the New Mexico medical insurance pool.

          B. For a patient who is receiving care or services for a life-threatening condition, pursuant to the requirements in Subsection A of this section, the county hospital or contracting hospital providing the care or services shall continue to provide the patient with the care or services and the affordable payment plan until the effective date of any type of coverage listed in Paragraphs (1) through (5) of Subsection A of this section that the patient obtains.

          C. The total payment owed to a county hospital or contracting hospital by an uninsured patient for treatment or services pursuant to this section shall be calculated by applying the medicaid or medicare fee schedule in effect for the service provided, whichever is greater. A monthly payment pursuant to the affordable payment plan provided for in this section shall not exceed five percent of a patient's monthly household adjusted gross income."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.

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