Human Services Department has released the 2023 Primary Care Council Strategic Plan to transform primary care delivery in New Mexico

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) and the Primary Care Council (PCC) today announced New Mexico was selected to participate in a Medicaid Primary Care Population-Based Payments Learning Collaborative to transform health care delivery in the state. New Mexico was chosen for its progress in adopting payment models that advance health equity and support the primary care workforce. HSD and the PCC have released the 2023 Primary Care Strategic Plan and Primary Care Payment Model Provider and Clinician Readiness Assessment which are now available for public comment. HSD will host a series of Primary Care Medicaid Payment Workshops to support providers and clinicians as a part of the continued work toward transforming health care delivery in the state. 

Responding to primary care professionals’ call for action, New Mexico legislators passed House Bill 67 in 2021. This bill tasks the PCC with addressing the immediate and urgent issues plaguing primary care. Acting on that charge, the Primary Care Council’s mission is to: “Revolutionize primary care into interprofessional, sustainable teams delivering high-quality, accessible, equitable health care across New Mexico through partnerships with patients, families, and communities.” 

“As a primary care physician, I know the importance of payment reform in supporting the primary care workforce and in providing high-quality care for the 984,335 New Mexicans covered by Medicaid,” said David. R. Scrase, MD, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Human Services Department. 

HSD is seeking public comment on the strategic plan and the readiness assessment. The council is also seeking participation from clinicians and providers for upcoming workshops on primary care Medicaid payment reform.  

To provide public comment, stay up to date on developments, and participate in future learning opportunities geared toward primary care providers, clinicians, and administrators, please follow the links below: 

The new Medicaid primary care payment model will lay the foundation for transformational change, specifically moving away from volume-based care to high-quality care that focuses on health equity and the holistic well-being of a person. 

“A large part of my day as a nurse is having conversations with patients and family members to help them understand their health needs and how to continue care at home. Under the current payment structure in New Mexico Medicaid, there is not reimbursement to my clinic for those conversations,” said Jon Helm, RN, Nurse Flow Manager, and member of the PCC, “New payment structures will value the work I do providing whole-person care at my clinic.” 

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We talk, interpret and smile in all languages.  We provide written information to our customers in both English and Spanish and interpretation services are available in 58 languages through our provider, CTS Language Link. For our hearing, and speech impaired customers, we utilize Relay New Mexico, a free 24-hour service that ensures equal communication access via the telephone to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled. 

The Human Services Department provides services and benefits to 1,076,746 New Mexicans through several programs including: the Medicaid Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Child Support Program, and several Behavioral Health Services.

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