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





SPONSOR: Miera DATE TYPED: 02/25/99 HB 794
SHORT TITLE: Mandatory Assignment of* Medicaid Benefits SB
* Title should read "Medicare" ANALYST: Burkhart


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY99 FY2000 FY99 FY2000
$ 0.0



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to SB70



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



New Mexico Health Policy Commission



SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



House Bill 794 requires specified health care providers licensed to practice in New Mexico to accept Medicare reimbursement payments for services provided to medicare beneficiaries.



Significant Issues



The bill requires certain health care providers to accept the medicare payment as reimbursement for the services they provided the medicare beneficiary. The bill also allows the Department of Health to hear complaints and to propose remedies that address those complaints and to promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act. While the bill will provide that certain health care providers

accept the Medicare benefit level, there is no requirement that those certain health care providers accept medicare patients into their practice, so if the health care provider refuses to accept medicare patients, this legislation has no effect.





ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS



Administration of the provisions of this legislation is within the budgeted capacity of this department.



CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP



This bill relates to SB70



TECHNICAL ISSUES



The title of this bill in the Bill Locator" uses the word "medicaid" when the intent of the bill is to provide changes to "medicare" provisions.



OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES



Licensing Boards of the mentioned health care practitioners may have requirements concerning this issue in their rules for licensure and thus may duplicate the intent of this measure.



MB/njw