HM 31 — HOME HEALTH SERVICE DISTANCE LIMITATIONS

HOUSE MEMORIAL 31 57 TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026 INTRODUCED BY Joseph Franklin Hernandez and Mark Duncan 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY TO REEVALUATE CERTAIN HOME HEALTH SERVICE DISTANCE LIMITATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE IN RURAL, FRONTIER AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.

156 WHEREAS, home health agencies play a critical role in delivering medically necessary skilled nursing, therapy and e t 17 supportive services that allow New Mexico residents to receive w l n d 18 care in their homes rather than in institutional settings;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, the health care authority's current i a e r 20 administrative rules limit a home health agency to serving a t m m 21 patient-clients who reside within one hundred miles of the d r e 22 agency's licensed location;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, this limitation creates administrative and e a n b 24 u [ operational burdens for home health agencies, particularly those serving large geographic areas with sparse populations, .233396.1 limited infrastructure and workforce shortages;

and WHEREAS, these communities already face significant barriers to accessing health care services due to geographic HM 31 Page 1 isolation, transportation challenges and limited availability of providers;

and WHEREAS, the personal care services program administered by the health care authority allows providers to serve patients e t 17 in any county within one hundred miles of a provider's main or w l n d 18 branch office, offering a more flexible and access-oriented = = 19 a l regulatory framework;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, aligning the health care authority's rules a t m m 21 governing home health service with existing personal care d r e 22 service policies would promote consistency across programs c e s k 23 while maintaining appropriate oversight and quality standards;

e a n b 24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF u [ REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the health care .233396.1 - 2 - authority be requested to reevaluate the administrative rules governing home health agency service areas, including the rule that limits a home health agency to serving patient-clients who reside within one hundred miles of the agency's licensed location;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this reevaluation prioritize improving access to home health services for rural, frontier HM 31 Page 2 and tribal communities, including populations impacted by radiation exposure;

-HM 331 -Page 163 e8 t25 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .233396.1