HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 65

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2005

INTRODUCED BY

Fred Luna

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH POLICY COMMISSION FORM A TASK FORCE TO REVIEW THE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY ASPECTS OF PROVIDING HEALTH CARE FOR PRACTITIONERS AND FACILITIES.

     WHEREAS, the business of providing health care, as a practitioner or a facility, involves complicated billing procedures, multiple private and public payors, constantly changing legal compliance considerations and an ongoing challenge to keep costs from exceeding revenues while also providing quality care; and

     WHEREAS, consumers and policymakers would benefit from a better understanding of these complexities since providing affordable and accessible quality health care is imperative in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, a better understanding of how health care practitioners and facilities attempt to meet these diverse challenges and how those challenges impact the actual provision of health care services can lead to better decision-making by consumers and policymakers;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico health policy commission be requested to form a task force to include representatives of statewide organizations representing hospitals, health care clinics, physicians, long-term care providers, consumers, the department of health and insurers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to review business management practices of health care practitioners and facilities and determine ways in which consumers and policymakers can become better informed about the business of providing health care and to determine how best to develop cost-beneficial quality indicators, including patient safety protocols; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico health policy commission report the findings and any recommendations of the task force to the appropriate interim legislative committee no later than December 1, 2005; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico health policy commission, the department of health and the governor.

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