HOUSE BILL 604

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

John A. Heaton

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; REQUIRING THAT MEDICAID WAIVER PROGRAMS BE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY TO THE COST OF LIVING.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. A new section of Chapter 2, Article 2 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] MEDICAID WAIVER COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.--The department of health, the aging and long-term services department and the human services department shall include in their annual budget requests to the state budget division of the department of finance and administration and the legislative finance committee an annual cost of living increase, based on the center for medicare and medicaid services market basket index inflation factor, for all medicaid waiver programs. The cost of living adjustment shall be used to improve staff recruitment and retention and to meet increased programmatic and operational costs of quality services."

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