[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6131888,"mediaKeyId","5727732-b82b026b894f345b6a453d5f6acbcfcf","parentId",5727732,"title","Opioid settlement funds used for 'Fresh Start' rental aid and expanding MOUD telehealth, agency says","audioSeconds",1118,"startMs",4981000,"endMs",6099000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727732-b82b026b894f345b6a453d5f6acbcfcf&start=4981&end=6099","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727732-b82b026b894f345b6a453d5f6acbcfcf/thumbnail_4981000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6131888/New-Mexico/Opioid-settlement-funds-used-for-Fresh-Start-rental-aid-and-expanding-MOUD-telehealth-agency-says","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131888-7bf3c320de8c60da4ab607a3ddd96bef/orig.mp4?Expires=1770458130&Signature=OfTqqsIJZT0rqbX2igQ4W5pub7Z-yRNmwLTzpmBbYLdSPOtD~ZRqKlC0j4lYVE28iVprIlcdeDnEnIMzd7EjiuvvcgyENAdOZsDhNbmAsnTbkN60CZ1CQYkoiMEidXn7ahZ9EXTUv13hAow5BCZH7QmUjgpMOqnonPpkfAWq0J9VORM3j7Pv-mYfSvJMomiIfdhs7LtzKwl6uiR-MJi8E8OOGkzJ5CHdyl5F-WkfJDmCOXbIGBokUuWvsCQcp0aQfARs09fTkcI3WjNwCv7brCuy1SrJBvv8wtpK5JbvQRr2s5HW4PGSR5drENEgXKyXiX~TEmMsePrzc9PTRYjmwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Mexico Legislature","date","2025-06-27T00:00:00Z","article","The Health Care Authority’s Behavioral Health Services Division on Tuesday outlined how opioid settlement dollars are being used in New Mexico for rental assistance, stipends and expanded medication‑assisted treatment via telehealth.

Nick Lucas, director of Behavioral Health Services, said the agency launched a Fresh Start Rental Assistance pilot in FY24 and expanded funding in FY25 to reach more people with opioid use disorder who are homeless or precariously housed. “Depending on the rent and what their eligibility is, between six and nine months of rental assistance or $10,000—whichever comes first,” Lucas said, adding the program also provides a stipend of up to $1,000 for essential household items.

Program scope and numbers
- The Fresh Start program received $1.2 million in FY24 and $1.8 million in FY25, Lucas said. The program has served roughly 340 unduplicated clients (the agency noted that a client could be a household member) and provides rental payments and small stipends.
- The Health Care Authority reported nine contracted providers delivering Fresh Start services across 13 counties. The agency said providers include local nonprofit organizations and that it coordinates with existing veteran housing programs (VASH) when applicable.
- The agency reported it is shifting to a voucher‑style approach in some housing programs to improve allocation and re‑use funds in counties where providers are underutilizing awards.

MOUD telehealth expansion
- The agency also used an approximately $1.0 million allocation to expand medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through telehealth at public health offices. Lucas said the investment supported clinical training (led in part by a New Mexico clinician) and helped set up e‑prescribing capacity; the public‑health telehealth work reached most counties. Lucas noted public health offices across the state can now refer or begin MOUD treatment and link patients to ongoing care.
- Lucas said early in the work, George Washington University research showed gaps in patient and clinician awareness—61% of Americans did not know primary care physicians can prescribe addiction treatment—and the state has focused on training primary‑care and other clinicians to prescribe MOUD.

Why it matters: Lucas and committee members emphasized that housing stability plus access to MOUD and recovery supports reduce emergency department use, improve economic outcomes and help people re‑engage with work and community life. The agency’s economic‑impact modeling estimated that FY25 spending on supportive housing programs generated roughly $16.45 million in economic impact and supported about 108 jobs statewide.

Oversight and next steps
Lucas said providers submit quarterly reports and that the Health Care Authority performs audits; the agency had placed one provider on a corrective action plan for administrative issues. Committee members asked whether tribal providers and counties were included; Lucas said the program is open to tribal providers and noted outreach through Native American advisory groups but said no tribal‑specific provider was active in the Fresh Start program at the time of the presentation.

Nut graf: The Health Care Authority told lawmakers the opioid settlement dollars are being channeled into short‑term rental assistance and telehealth MOUD expansion with measurable local economic and service impacts, while officials noted continued outreach needs—especially to tribal communities and rural counties—and emphasized the programs are time‑limited and may need other funding to be sustained.

What legislators asked for: lawmakers requested age and demographic breakdowns, details on provider audits and accountability for how stipends and rental assistance are spent. Lucas said the program generally fronts funds to providers, who submit receipts and quarterly reports; the Health Care Authority then reimburses providers and can reallocate unused vouchers to other counties.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Health and Human Services Committee Jun 27, 2025 9:20 AM - 11:56 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Behavioral Health Services described a 'Fresh Start' rental assistance program funded by opioid settlement dollars and a telehealth MOUD rollout to public health offices; officials reported dozens of providers, hundreds of clients served and plans to scale regionally.","taxTitle","Legislative Health & Human Services, Interim, Committees, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",65389,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6131893,"Health Care Authority outlines DD waiver gains and ongoing provider-rate, staffing shortfalls",1474,303000,1777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727732-b82b026b894f345b6a453d5f6acbcfcf&start=303&end=1777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727732-b82b026b894f345b6a453d5f6acbcfcf/thumbnail_303000.jpg","/articles/6131893/New-Mexico/Health-Care-Authority-outlines-DD-waiver-gains-and-ongoing-provider-rate-staffing-shortfalls","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131893-35a133dd490eb06fae033ee259da7c05/orig.mp4?Expires=1770458130&Signature=XL5ZmgdPJy8MaMdrx3hmhQ0SidBoVQBgwFfhNlEsu566ONiCtEHLO1Ovb4tfpu-IahZPMfGkV-A8tBCx5PQRIbdSOoNUjSXVemjWnQE0OkjqdAMqK2QTa0VTHO2dlPSukbF1qnXRptjZvm~Fn2WdBqo5D0HyEhB0rQCEG2kos9J78wZ4js71Y8JqUy3dFOlGOoCSbc8MLCNlWFOwu9cKiW9Gom6meZLhlrbcfgm63LTK21KmJfxNI8TU09QOxBzfxL6MzE9I7JpU9gLaoODrIpS1Ubd5Nfh4H0iJ~ncSWfTGtojZxAuoAVP8N1QKs-q7xPWgb-iYO5RImjcoS5Bb5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Mexico Health Care Authority on Tuesday told the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee that recent provider rate increases and program changes cleared a long Developmental Disabilities (DD) waiver waitlist and expanded oversight, but officials cautioned funding and workforce gaps remain.

Cabinet Secretary Carrie Armijo told the committee that the state’s DD waivers now serve 8,147 New Mexicans with intellectual and developmental disabilities and that the agency implemented an average rate increase of about 16% across services in fiscal 2025. “The average rate increase across all services was over 16%,” Armijo said, adding the Health Care Authority implemented a 5.32% cost-of-living adjustment and chose not to reduce any rates recommended by the rate study.

The rate changes were implemented after House Bill 395 established a biannual cost‑study process to recommend reimbursement rates, Armijo said. The first rate study under HB395 was completed for FY24; the Health Care Authority implemented that study’s recommendations in FY25 after federal approval. Armijo said the agency has contracted Health Management Associates to perform the FY26 rate study, which kicked off in June and is scheduled to conclude in November 2025.

Why it matters: committee members pressed the agency on whether rate increases are reaching direct support professionals and whether reimbursement levels are sufficient to recruit and retain staff. Jennifer Rodriguez, director of the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD), described program changes that have expanded in‑home monitoring and supports and said the agency is tracking staffing and wage data for direct support professionals as required by HB395.

Key program changes and numbers
- DDSD reported eliminating a 13‑plus year DD waiver waitlist and enrolling more than 3,500 people in the last three years, Rodriguez said. She credited quarterly provider meetings and administrative shifts after DDSD moved from the Department of Health to the Health Care Authority.
- DDSD created a new bureau for individual safety and advocacy that launched in April 2024; that bureau triggered 248 investigations in its first year, Rodriguez said. Of those, 41 were substantiated, 177 unsubstantiated and 30 remained pending.
- The agency has completed more than 31,000 face‑to‑face “health and wellness” visits to waiver recipients; DDSD staff are prioritizing higher‑risk cases and have deployed more than 100 staff to conduct these visits.
- StationMD, a 24/7 telemedicine service specialized for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is available to waiver participants to reduce emergency department visits.

Budget and implementation details
- Armijo said the Health Care Authority’s FY26 executive request sought $28.0 million in general fund to sustain rate increases; the final FY26 appropriation in House Bill 2 totaled $26.2 million. The agency reported having spent roughly $30.0 million in general fund to support FY25 rate increases to date and estimated total computable expenditures tied to the FY25 increases around $110.0 million.
- Armijo and committee members noted the agency is projecting a shortfall: a $13.0 million projected shortfall was discussed later in questioning.
- The rate‑study process includes market salary research, provider cost reports and time studies, and federal rules require a rate review every five years; New Mexico’s cadence under HB395 is more frequent (biannual studies with implementation phases).

Questions from legislators and remaining concerns
Lawmakers repeatedly asked how much of rate increases will reach direct support professionals, with Representative Eleanor Chavez and others noting local employers sometimes pay more for lower‑responsibility work. Armijo said the federal rule requiring a percentage of funds be passed to direct caregivers (discussed by legislators) is not fully in effect and enforcement varies; she said the agency will provide whatever data it can but that current federal and state rules limit direct oversight of employer pay decisions.

Senator Block pressed on oversight and training when family members are hired as paid caregivers; Rodriguez said family caregivers must complete a comprehensive training curriculum and that case management includes monthly face‑to‑face contacts to monitor services.

Nut graf: Agency officials described meaningful recent progress—eliminating the long DD waitlist and expanding safety oversight and telemedicine access—but also told legislators the improvements have produced higher utilization and costs and that the state faces uneven provider capacity, ongoing vacancies and a projected budget gap that could limit future increases.

What’s next: The Health Care Authority is running a FY26 rate study (contracted to HMA) meant to conclude in November 2025; any FY27 budget request will reflect recommendations from that study and available federal/state revenue. Legislators urged adding an inflation or CPI adjustment to make rate recommendations more timely and to track how much of rate increases are paid to direct support workers.","The New Mexico Health Care Authority told the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee that recent rate increases and service changes cleared a long DD-waiver waitlist, expanded safety checks and telemedicine options, but officials warned of budget shortfalls and uneven provider capacity across counties.","actionData","errors"]

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Opioid settlement funds used for 'Fresh Start' rental aid and expanding MOUD telehealth, agency says

Health Care Authority outlines DD waiver gains and ongoing provider-rate, staffing shortfalls