A JOINT MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL TO CREATE AN INTERIM MEDICAID OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
WHEREAS, the legislature,
recognizing the significant growth in state health care expenditures, created
the medicaid reform committee pursuant to Laws 2002, Chapter 96 during the
second session of the forty-fifth legislature; and
WHEREAS, the medicaid reform
committee's findings and recommendations identified twenty-four program
changes, eleven studies, pilots and waiver requests and several other
initiatives for the forty-sixth legislature's consideration; and
WHEREAS, the current
administration and the legislature have recognized the medicaid reform
committee's initiatives as the beginning of needed reforms; and
WHEREAS, the human services
department is interested in reviewing or pursuing the medicaid reform
committee's initiatives as that department works to restructure the medicaid
program; and
WHEREAS, medicaid is a
significant part of the health care industry, and the state is chiefly
responsible for the administration of the medicaid program within a broad
federal framework; and
WHEREAS, medicaid continues to
be one of the largest drivers of state budgets nationwide, with health care
inflation expected to increase by ten percent or more per year for the
foreseeable future; and
WHEREAS, the federal government
is considering various options to reform medicare and medicaid that would have
significant impacts on the state;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative
council be requested to create an interim medicaid oversight committee to work
with the human services department and other health care related agencies to:
A. review federal proposals for medicaid reform
and provide input to the state's congressional delegation on the impact to the
state;
B. review the administration's efforts to reform
medicaid and control the rate of growth and expenditures;
C. review the status of the initiatives proposed
by the medicaid reform committee; and
D. consider the impact of medicaid reform on the
health care industry in the state; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the
legislative council be requested to appoint to the medicaid oversight committee
four members of the house of representatives, four members of the senate, and
no advisory or public members; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the
medicaid oversight committee develop recommendations by November 30, 2003 to
assist the human services department in reforming medicaid, including
legislation to restructure the various elements of the medicaid program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that
copies of this memorial be transmitted to the human services department and the
New Mexico legislative council.