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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Park

DATE TYPED 01/31/05 HB 212

SHORT TITLE UNM Young Children’s Medical Center

SB

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$100.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to the appropriation for the University of New Mexico in the General Appropriations

Act.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Department of Health (DOH)

No Response From

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 212 – Making an Appropriation to the University of New Mexico for a Young Chil-

dren’s Medical Center – appropriates $100,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of

the University of New Mexico for expenditure in FY06 to operate a young children's medical

center in the southeast heights of Albuquerque. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance re-

maining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general fund.

House Bill 212 -- Page 2

Significant Issues

DOH notes that the Young Children’s Health Center (YCHC) is a nationally recognized, best

practice program for comprehensive community-based health care. It is an example of the Medi-

cal Home Model, addressing critical issues of poverty, the immigrant population, multicultural-

ism, and the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs population. DOH indicates

that although YCHC has been level-funded for the past eight years, it has increased the scope of

its services during five of those years, relying on Medicaid billings, and federal and private

grants to meet operational expenses.

DOH adds that retention of skilled medical staff has been accomplished through minimal salary

increases, and that a one-time allocation of $75,000 was provided last year to help relieve the

ongoing deficit. DOH indicates the following overview of patient services:

•

over 10,000 child visits per year (50 percent under the age of five)

•

85 percent of the center’s patients Medicaid recipients (this produces one-third of the

center’s revenue)

•

10 percent of patients have no insurance (the number is steadily increasing)

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $100,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the gen-

eral fund.

The CHE 2005-2006 Higher Education Funding Recommendation recommends a $281,100 ap-

propriation for YCHC. This represents an 11.6 percent (or $29,500) increase over YCHC’s FY05

appropriation.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The University of New Mexico would retain oversight of this program.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to the appropriation for the University of New Mexico in the General Appropriations

Act.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

DOH indeicates that YCHC provides a number of valuable services to the children of New Mex-

ico including:

•

the only Deaf Access Program in the state, serving over 70 children who are either hear-

ing impaired or the children of deaf parents;

•

immunizations;

•

a nationally recognized effort in working with the Children and Youth with Special

House Bill 212 -- Page 3

Health Care Needs population, including transition issues; and

•

an integrated behavioral health and primary care system that includes a child psychiatrist.

DOH additionally suggests that YCHC looks at the family in a social context and is partnering

with the community with respect to addressing such issues as school health, violence and gang

prevention.

BFW/lg