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

SPONSOR Rodriguez

DATE TYPED 2/16/05

HB

SHORT TITLE Womens Health Services Counseling Center

SB 405

ANALYST Hadwiger

APPROPRIATION

(in $000s)

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$500.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 405 appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to the Department of Finance and

Administration (DFA) to provide services at the Women’s Health Services (WHS) family care

and counseling center in Santa Fe.

Significant Issues

DFA indicated WHS is a non-profit health care provider located in Santa Fe that has provided

health care for women in northern New Mexico for 30 years. Primary care is provided by family

practice physicians and certified nurse practitioners with a wide spectrum of specialties, includ-

ing acupuncture, individual prenatal, gynecology, internal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics and

podiatry. According to the Department of Health (DOH), WHS is recognized by the Federal

Health Resources Administration as a center of excellence on women’s health, one of approxi-

mately three in the nation. WHS reports financial difficulties and has indicated that without ad-

ditional financial support it may need to limit services to Medicaid, Medicare and medically in-

digent patients. The WHS is not a certified federally qualified health center (FQHC).

Senate Bill 405-- Page 2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500,000 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.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

DFA’s Local Government Division's Community Development Block Grant Bureau would pro-

vide oversight at the state level to ensure that the appropriation is properly utilized. The appro-

priation will be administered by the City of Santa Fe's Community Services Department which

will provide fiscal oversight.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

According to DFA, the Woman's Health Services Family Care and Counseling Center provided

care to approximately 5,000 indigent patients in calendar year 2004, resulting in approximately

18,000 total visits. The Center’s patients include men, women and children. The Center re-

ceived a $250,000 appropriation from DFA during the 2004 legislative session and $300,000 in

state general funds from the Department of Health (DOH) under the Rural Primary Health Care

Act Program for the provision of primary care services.

DH/lg