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

SPONSOR Rodriquez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/2/07 HB

SHORT TITLE UNM Hepatitis C Program

SB 218

ANALYST Leger

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$2,000.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 174

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico Health Policy Commission (NMHPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 218 appropriates $2 million from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the

University of New Mexico (UNM) for the purpose of funding the hepatitis C Extension for

Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) program at UNM.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $2 million contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the gen-

eral fund.

Senate Bill 218 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH indicates the ECHO program provides local access to hepatitis C disease management and

treatment services for infected persons living in rural and underserved communities across the

state. ECHO provides clinical consult services and intensive training to rural primary care phy-

sicians utilizing telehealth technology. Medical specialists at UNM/ Health Sciences Center

(HSC) provide expertise and co-manage care of hepatitis C patients with the rural-based primary

care physician.

As per DOH, it is estimated as many as 28,000 people are infected with hepatitis C in New Mex-

ico. Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver, which can ultimately cause liver failure or liver can-

cer. Those infected with hepatitis C typically pursue care after this disease has progressed which

may ultimately increase the cost of care. The appropriation included in SB 218 would support

the mission of ECHO by providing care in rural and underserved communities.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

SB 218 relates to $1.6 million for UNM/HSC ECHO in the base budget of the Department of

Health.

SB 218 also relates to HB 174 which appropriates $1.6 million to DOH for the ECHO program.

JL/nt