HM 35 — PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE & CONCURRENT CARE

HOUSE MEMORIAL 35 57 TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026 INTRODUCED BY Jenifer Jones and Kristina Ortez 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY TO SUBMIT A STATE PLAN AMENDMENT TO CREATE A PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE BENEFIT UNDER MEDICAID THAT ALLOWS CONCURRENT CURATIVE CARE.

156 WHEREAS, children in New Mexico with serious, complex or life-limiting medical conditions often experience repeated e t 17 hospitalizations, emergency room visits and prolonged suffering w l n d 18 that could be alleviated through pediatric palliative care;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, pediatric palliative care provides comprehensive, i a e r 20 family-centered services focused on pain and symptom a t m m 21 management, psychosocial and spiritual support and care d r e 22 coordination, which can be delivered concurrently with curative c e s k 23 treatment;

and e a n b 24 u [ WHEREAS, because pediatric hospice care under current medicaid rules is limited to children with a terminal prognosis .233618.1 of six months or less and often carries a stigma associated with end-of-life care, many families decline these services even when their child would benefit from supportive care;

and WHEREAS, the New Mexico medicaid managed care program currently lacks a pediatric palliative care benefit, preventing access to supportive services that are available in other states through approved medicaid state plan HM 35 Page 1 amendments;

and WHEREAS, a 2024 proposal by the university of New Mexico center for health policy, developed in collaboration with the medical assistance division of the health care authority, outlined a feasible model for a medicaid pediatric palliative e t 17 care benefit, including eligibility criteria, interdisciplinary w l n d 18 team standards, tiered per-member-per-month payments and = = 19 a l measurable quality outcomes;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, establishing a medicaid pediatric palliative care a t m m 21 benefit has been shown in other states to improve quality of d r e 22 life, reduce family stress, decrease avoidable hospital c e s k 23 utilization and generate net savings for medicaid programs;

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 .233618.1 - 2 - authority be requested to develop and submit to the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services a state plan amendment creating a pediatric palliative care benefit that:

provides coordinated, interdisciplinary and HM 35 Page 2 family-centered care to children with serious, complex or life-life-limiting limiting illnesses;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the health care authority be requested to consult with the New Mexico association for home e t 17 and hospice care, pediatric care providers, hospice agencies w l n d 18 and family advocates in preparing the state plan amendment;

and = = 19 a l BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the health care authority be i a e r 20 requested to provide an update on progress toward submission of a t m m 21 the state plan amendment to the legislative health and human d r e 22 services committee and the legislative finance committee by c e s k 23 October 1, 2026;

and e a n b 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the health care authority be u [ requested to explore strategies to expand access to pediatric .233618.1 - 3 - hospice care and to ensure adequate provider supports, including reimbursement and training, to deliver high-quality hospice services for children to strengthen the continuum of HM 35 Page 3 care for seriously ill children and their families;

-HM 435 -Page 114 137 159 e25 t 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 [ .233618.1