This week, State Rep. Gail Armstrong issued a press release announcing that applications are now ready for the Rural Healthcare Delivery Fund, created under Senate Bill 7 in the most recent legislative session. State Rep. Armstrong, a co-sponsor of the bill, believes this program will significantly help rural New Mexicans receive healthcare.
“I am proud that we have taken a proactive approach by outlaying funds for new rural-focused healthcare to provide critical services for our communities spread across the state,” State Rep. Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena said. “This funding is critical, and we must remain vigilant as many communities face losing their health services. We cannot continue to force smaller communities to lose their healthcare access, instead we must provide resources to bolster their quality of life within their own communities. I will continue to work to find solutions that ensure every New Mexican has access to critical healthcare services.”
According to Taos News, Senate Bill 7 was passed in April in order to help reimburse new healthcare services in rural areas of New Mexico. A fund will be created to support healthcare facilities that would operate at a loss providing healthcare services to people in rural communities. The fund is administered by the New Mexico Treasury department, and healthcare facilities would submit their grant applications to them in order to receive funding.
According to the Human Services Department of New Mexico, in order to receive funds these healthcare facilities must be enrolled Medicaid providers and have programs that use Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. A survey was recently conducted that polled healthcare providers asking which services would need to be funded with the Rural Healthcare Delivery Fund, as well as giving the department a broad estimate of how many will apply for funding.
Senate Bill 7 passed the New Mexico legislature with bipartisan support, as it passed the House by a vote of 69-0 and passed the Senate by a vote of 28-8.
According to the Human Services Department of New Mexico, the fund will provide up to $80 million to healthcare facilities. The grant awardees will be announced in November, and the grant payments will begin in January 2024.