Santa Fe, N.M. – The New Mexico Human Services Department has reached settlement agreements with two more behavioral health organizations to whom Medicaid payments were frozen in 2013 by the Martinez administration. Settlement agreements were reached with:
- TeamBuilders Counseling Services, Inc.; and
- Counseling Associates, Inc.Last month HSD announced it had settled with:
- Hogares, Inc;
- Valencia Counseling Services, Inc.; and
- The Counseling Center, Inc.
HSD has now settled half of these agreements, which were made in the interest of amicably resolving all differences and to avoid the time, expense, delay and uncertainty of litigation in the lawsuits filed in the First Judicial District Court.
“New Mexico deserves and needs stability in our behavioral health network," said Secretary David R. Scrase, M.D. "These settlements reflect a shared commitment to rebuild what was lost. We are continuing to work with other behavioral health provider litigants affected by the 2013 New Mexico Medicaid payment freeze and to reconstruct this essential network of services that so many vulnerable New Mexicans need and rely on.”
Shannon Freedle, CEO of TeamBuilders states, "We are grateful for the swift action and efforts of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and HSD Secretary David Scrase to resolve this matter. We appreciate finally being able to put this to rest and are hopeful for the future of New Mexico's behavioral health system and the people who depend on those services."
Under the terms of the agreements, the parties agree that the settlements are a compromise of the disputed matters and the representations and statements are not an admission of any liability or fault on the part of either party.