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

SPONSOR Garcia, MP

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/12/07

HB 629

SHORT TITLE Hispanic Female Health Testing

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$25.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates: House Bill 630

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 629 would appropriate $25,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Health

(DOH) for fiscal year 2008 for the provision of health screenings for Hispanic women in the

South Valley eighteen years and older who have no health care coverage. Services include: low-

dose screening mammograms and high blood pressure, glaucoma, and diabetes testing. Services

would be provided through a public health clinic. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance at

the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert to the general fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation included in this bill is not part of the Department’s FY08 operating budget

request.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The South Valley of Albuquerque is an area of high need. Unemployment is 8.19% as compared

to 5.74% in Bernalillo County as a whole. Poverty is higher at 46.5% in the South Valley as

compared to 30.4% in Bernalillo County as a whole. (US Census, 2000 and Bernalillo County

House Bill 629 -- Page

2

Map Book http://www.health.state.nm.us/pdf/ABQ-Health-and-Social-Indicator-Map-Book-v6a-

e.pdf ) Access to health care for adults is often tied to employment and even those adults who are

working often are working at jobs in smaller businesses that do not offer health insurance.

Diabetes testing of the general population is not a recommended procedure according to the

American Diabetes Association. Instead, initial screening for risk factors might be a better

approach.

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

The local public health offices do not possess equipment that would allow for glaucoma or breast

cancer screening and these services may need to be contracted with local providers. Working

through the DOH Breast and Cervical Cancer (BCC) Screening Program might be an efficient

method to deliver the mammography services. When women are diagnosed with breast cancer

under the BCC Program, they may be eligible for a specific category of Medicaid that offers

treatment and other health care services for the duration of the cancer treatment.

Contracts may need to be put in place for services the local public health office is unable to

provide.

RELATIONSHIP

HB 629 relates to House Bill 630, which would appropriate $25,000 for services for males in

Albuquerque’s South Valley.