Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the application form that states will use to request funding from the $50 billion fund for rural hospitals that was included in the federal budget bill.
The application for those federal funds awards more points to states that participate in the interstate health care worker compacts, as the Albuquerque Journal and Source New Mexico reported on Friday.
This means that New Mexico's failure to participate in most of the compacts could result in the state forfeiting millions of dollars for our rural hospitals.
Please email your legislators and urge them to pass all of the interstate health care worker compacts during the special session! The governor has said she would like to include them if the legislative leadership agrees.
The scoring system for the federal funding specifically awards additional points to states that participate in the compacts for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, emergency medical personnel, and psychologists, because joining those compacts "increases the supply of accessible rural health providers [and] also increases the reach and effectiveness of telehealth in enhancing rural access."
The deadline to apply for this one-time funding is in early November, with the money awarded by the end of the year. So if lawmakers wait until the regular legislative session next January to join the compacts, it will be too late.
On the other hand, if lawmakers pass the compacts during the special session that starts next Wednesday, October 1, they can maximize New Mexico's chances of receiving urgently needed funding for our rural hospitals - while also increasing access to health care providers for all New Mexicans.
Similar to the way that a person can hold a driver's license from one state and legally drive in another, states that participate in an interstate compacts agree to recognize licenses issued to health care professionals by other states. You can read more about how joining the compacts would expand access to health care for New Mexicans in this opinion editorial from Think New Mexico, which was published this weekend.
Legislators and the governor have stated that the goal of the special session is to address the impacts of the federal budget bill on New Mexico. That should include ensuring that the state receives its full share of funding for rural hospitals that was allocated in that federal budget bill.
Thank you for speaking up on behalf of this essential reform!
Fred, Kristina, Susan, Mandi, Katie, Lauren, and Noah
Think New Mexico
