0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 66
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                           NICK L. SALAZAR
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     RELATING TO HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED LONG-TERM CARE POLICY AND
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0012|     INTEGRATED SERVICE SYSTEMS.
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0013|     
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0014|          WHEREAS, thousands of New Mexicans are in need of home
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0015|     and community based long-term care options and cost-effective
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0016|     alternatives to current services and programs; and
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0017|          WHEREAS, every state agency involved in long-term care
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0018|     issues and planning through program development, service
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0019|     delivery and funding has approached these issues from

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0020|     differing perspectives and funding requests because no
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0021|     infrastructure exists that facilitates cooperation; and
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0022|          WHEREAS, the state agencies involved in long-term care
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0023|     include, but are not limited to, the state agency on aging;
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0024|     the human services department; the department of health; the
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0025|     children, youth and families department; the governor's
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0001|     committee on concerns of the handicapped; the developmental
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0002|     disabilities planning council; the brain injury advisory
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0003|     council; and the department of insurance; and
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0004|          WHEREAS, the myriad of state agencies involved in long-
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0005|     term care issues and planning has resulted in confusion and
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0006|     uncertainty regarding how best to address the needs of
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0007|     disabled and elderly New Mexicans in need of home and
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0008|     community based long-term care; and
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0009|          WHEREAS, the legislature has long mandated the
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0010|     development of a long-term care system, and the executive's
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0011|     approved plan for managed care includes long-term care; 
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0012|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0013|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that all state agencies involved in long-
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0014|     term care shall strive to ensure that the quality of life of
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0015|     long-term care consumers be maintained and improved by these
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0016|     agencies working cooperatively together to develop, with the
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0017|     state agency on aging as the lead agency, a comprehensive
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0018|     statewide home and community based long-term care policy; and
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0019|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this effort reduce the
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0020|     duplication and fragmentation of home and community based
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0021|     long-term care services, programs and funding; and
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0022|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the policy mandate
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0023|     coordination of efforts to provide consumers with adequate
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0024|     access to appropriate home and community based long-term care
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0025|     services; and
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0001|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study give priority to
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0002|     and accelerate home and community based services and programs
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0003|     in the least restrictive environments and appropriate settings
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0004|     and remove and reduce biases in favor of institutional care by
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0005|     providing cost-effective alternatives; and
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0006|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this cooperation result in an
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0007|     infrastructure for providing quality home and community based
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0008|     long-term care services that include an effective screening
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0009|     and referral system and that also incorporate the
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0010|     recommendations of the H.O.M.E. (home options mission for
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0011|     everyone) coalition which have been developed following a
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0012|     series of statewide town hall meetings that allowed providers
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0013|     of, advocates for and persons in need of long-term care to
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0014|     present their concerns; and
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0015|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state agency on aging
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0016|     present to the legislature and the executive for their
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0017|     consideration during the 1999 legislative session a
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0018|     comprehensive, statewide home and community based long-term
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0019|     care policy that reflects discussions with and input from all
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0020|     state agencies involved in the development or administration
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0021|     of long-term care services or support; and
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0022|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this joint memorial
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0023|     be sent to the director of the state agency on aging for
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0024|     appropriate distribution.
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0025|                            - 3 -
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