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

SPONSOR SPAC

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/06

1/31/06 HB

SHORT TITLE Dona Ana Uncompensated Perinatal Care

SB 77 & 193/SPACS

ANALYST Lewis

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

1,200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

Human Services Department (HSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

The Senate Public Affairs Committee substitute for Senate Bills 77 and 193 appropriates

$1,200,000 from the general fund to the Department of Health for fiscal year 2007 to provide

payment for perinatal health care services provided by physicians and certified nurse midwives

for indigent women in Dona Ana County.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1,200,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert

to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to the Department of Health (DOH), perinatal services include care before and after

birth. An estimated 19.1% of mothers who had a live birth in Dona Ana County in 2004 had low

or no prenatal care (i.e. less than 5 prenatal visits during pregnancy). Inadequate prenatal care

Senate Bills 77 & 193/SPACS – Page 2

has been linked with increased risk for poor health of the infant, including low birth weight and

prematurity, infant mortality, as well as maternal mortality.

The appropriation in SB

77 & 193/SPACCS

is not, however, part of the DOH executive budget

request.

The Health Policy Commission (HPC) cites statistics from a variety of sources showing that:

28.1% of women in New Mexico are uninsured; and that

between 1992 and 2002, the rate of preterm infants in New Mexico increased nearly 19%.

According to the Human Services Department (HSD), this bill does not specifically identify the

target population, and may overlap with current Medicaid program coverage.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

According to the HPC, low income and uninsured women in Dona Ana County may not have

access to perinatal services and would place their babies at high risks for preterm birth and/or

poor health outcomes.

HSD agrees that low-income women who are not covered by Medicaid, and may not receive fi-

nancial support for perinatal services, will be discouraged from seeking perinatal services, which

may result in more high-risk pregnancies and higher morbidity rates.

ML/yr