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

SPONSOR M.H. Garcia

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/19/2007

HB 144

SHORT TITLE Dona Ana High-Risk Perinatal Care

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$200.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates: SB 143

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 144 would appropriate two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) from the general

fund to the Department of Health for expenditure in fiscal year 2008 to provide payment for

perinatal services, including prenatal, delivery and postnatal, for uninsured low-income pregnant

women with high-risk conditions in Dona Ana County. Any unexpended or unencumbered bal-

ance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 would revert to the general fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

This appropriation would build upon $100,000 appropriation received for FY07 for this program

which is contained in the base budget recommendation for both the LFC and executive for FY08.

DOH notes that Medicaid’s standard fee schedule for perinatal care is $1229.53, or with a cesar-

ean section, $1456.22. At these rates, a $200,000 appropriation would cover perinatal care for

approximately 157 women.

House Bill 144 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH provides that perinatal services include care before and after a birth. In 2004, 3,315 infants

were born to Dona Ana County residents. Of their mothers, 20.4%, or 633, had low level prena-

tal care, or no prenatal care. (New Mexico Selected Health Statistics Annual Report 2004). In-

adequate use of prenatal care has been linked with increased risk for poor health of the infant,

including low birth weight and risk of premature birth, infant mortality, as well as maternal mor-

tality (NM PRAMS Surveillance Report – 1999 Live Births). For women with high-risk condi-

tions, there are higher rates of these problems; the need for tests, treatments and other services is

greater; and the cost of perinatal care is higher.

DUPLICATION

House Bill 144 is duplicated by Senate Bill 143.

GG/sb