[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6131877,"mediaKeyId","5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348","parentId",5727760,"title","New Mexico agencies outline mandatory CARA reforms, expanded screening and required reporting for substance‑exposed newborns","audioSeconds",8681,"startMs",465000,"endMs",9146000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348&start=465&end=9146","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348/thumbnail_465000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6131877/New-Mexico/New-Mexico-agencies-outline-mandatory-CARA-reforms-expanded-screening-and-required-reporting-for-substanceexposed-newborns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131877-cc228e91acc5341913607da69d7cd3b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538970&Signature=F-Q5W0xSjGPkpMg2i3bXf5y58UXeMcoOalgZ19CxfFNes0XxjaFePt~Qxl5HusEIE33N9om8v7lC2j1vfBtwCNS8iK8ZrGV8Spl-A25Us7w4huE4WjBDahKlsbjwgcKm3QdkvOR-gKhOCZMF3UMrqr039Ws1tIgYd0QyA0R-W2jP1XFIJCm3~kKNibFZ8LVJCfO5LDctHluCorm8MiaWnTrGrpegUpbE8~RuY1I8uM7N8Ax72FoGUX7JxR1EsCHoTwoSi91h36Ir7evf7qY0smpvgK5RoL-Xd1XfTRj0FgToiLt1RDg1BUH1NhrL~09dz3EDRvgDA1wJv2Dz9DQlMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Mexico Legislature","date","2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","article","Carrie Armijo, cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority, told a legislative committee that New Mexico is moving to make major changes to the state’s Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) implementation and to implement Senate Bill 42, with full regulations due by July 1, 2026.

The changes, Armijo said, include universal prenatal screening with SBIRT at prenatal visits, a mandatory plan of safe care for substance‑exposed newborns, mandatory reporting of plan noncompliance to the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), and more rigorous training and data reporting overseen by the Health Care Authority.

The reforms matter because Medicaid is the primary payer for most births in New Mexico: Armijo gave July enrollment figures of 809,454 Medicaid members and 297,329 children, and said Medicaid pays for 55 percent of births in the state and covers 72 percent of infants under age 1. Armijo also said there are a little over 1,000 infants currently enrolled in CARA, and that “almost 98 percent of those infants are covered by the Medicaid program.”

Agency officials described a cross‑agency implementation plan and new operational steps. Gina de Blasio, secretary of the Department of Health, described priority categories for substance exposure and said, “Those priority 1 babies are those that have a substance exposure to fentanyl, meth, or their polysubstance, or have a fetal alcohol spectrum, disorder.” Under the new approach, hospitals will identify priority 1 newborns and the Department of Health and CYFD will perform enhanced safety assessments and follow‑up prior to discharge.

Department of Health and CYFD staff described recent field work: the agencies carried out roughly 149 cross‑agency home visits for priority cases identified after Jan. 1, 2025. Officials said 148 of those visits were successful; seven children were removed (three newborns on CARA plus four other children in the home). After issuing the CARA directive officials identified an additional 57 infants meeting priority‑1 criteria; CYFD reported petitions filed on 29 infants with 15 successful court outcomes, three unsuccessful petitions, 11 still pending, six guardianships established and 17 other interventions. Officials said five of that cohort remained in hospital care while monitored.

The Health Care Authority has issued a hospital and birth center directive (June 27) requiring hospitals to report statewide‑central‑intake any newborn exposed to fentanyl, methamphetamine, fentanyl plus other substances, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or polysubstance exposure that includes an illicit drug. Armijo said the authority will promulgate regulations and run a portal for cross‑agency reporting and provider notification, provide training for hospital staff, select an evidence‑based universal screening tool, and require SBIRT screening at prenatal visits.

Committee members raised operational and equity questions. Representative Ferrari asked, “When you have the 72‑hour assessment period where you can hold the baby in the hospital … does the mother get to stay there with the baby so that there’s still that bonding or if she’s nursing?” Secretary Teresa Casados of CYFD responded that mothers are not prohibited from visiting and that hospitals often restrict NICU access for medical reasons; CYFD and DOH officials also said they will try to facilitate visitation and treatment options that preserve bonding where clinically possible.

Tribal notification and ICWA were discussed: officials said intake screens aim to identify children of Native American heritage and to follow requirements for tribal notification and consultation; Senator Charlie and other members of the committee urged transparent communication with tribes and raised allegations from commenters that removals have occurred without tribal notice.

Several legislators and public commenters urged more emphasis on kinship supports and treatment for parents. Representative Chavis and others asked about programs that allow parents to stay with infants during treatment; agency officials said capacity for parent‑and‑child treatment is limited but that the agencies will pursue options and connections to home visiting and ECECD supports. Advocates warned the directive could deter prenatal care; Misha Bitsini of Bold Futures said, “Parents tell us that reaching out for care during pregnancy often comes with fear,” and urged that policies be implemented in ways that center family supports rather than surveillance.

Officials listed near‑term deliverables: continuing priority‑1 in‑person visits, convening a stakeholder process on rule promulgation (including rural outreach Oct–Dec), issuing training materials and a hospital checklist, issuing an RFP for the CARA portal, selecting the universal screening tool and completing final regulations by July 2026.

Officials and public commenters also documented concerns about removals, guardianships and reporting transparency. Senator Charlie and public commenters pressed for public reporting of home visits, petitions, removals and guardianships and raised concerns about state‑tribal interactions and the sufficiency of kinship supports.

The agencies emphasized distinctions between current practice and the future regulatory regime. Armijo said today participation in plans of safe care is voluntary, but under Senate Bill 42 participation will be required beginning next July and noncompliance will be reported to CYFD. Officials described the current operational picture and the planned shift to mandatory screening, mandatory plans of safe care and mandatory reporting as statutory deadlines approach.

The session concluded with committee members pressing for ongoing updates and for attention to training, tribal consultation and kinship funding as the agencies move to implement the new requirements.

Ending note: agencies told the committee they will continue the cross‑agency hospital outreach, convene biweekly hospital meetings and publish opportunities for public stakeholder input as they prepare to finalize regulations and operational tools before July 1, 2026.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Health and Human Services Committee Aug 18, 2025 1:18 PM - 3:55 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Carrie Armijo, cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority, told a legislative committee that New Mexico is moving to make major changes to the state’s CARA program and to implement Senate Bill 42, including universal prenatal screening, mandatory plans of safe care and required reporting by hospitals, with regulations due by July 1, 2026.","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},6131870,"Gallup residents urge state attention to rising mobile‑home rents and street homelessness",681,8391000,9072000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348&start=8391&end=9072","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348/thumbnail_8391000.jpg","/articles/6131870/New-Mexico/Gallup-residents-urge-state-attention-to-rising-mobilehome-rents-and-street-homelessness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131870-5d4824e2cbab7cd664e6d86f9a11a90d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538970&Signature=XnIFEhaKMKRMiubCFB5E~shH-EhIQ5risuFqBp9m9FdKFNtQrnH39t87OVpslrJvDC9SSMc~isyd2P-PEqOgqRQYU20ZiJ-pVoJOyjtOJfvOifHnC3LjBOVQbVHNxFHohvtrT2h5mRdmTZU2i~lZTtm-9OE2ARM18Em4KBOPoQQ6U5eL8o6Dik2t3Bv24z1iBU01aYgD59W69Ot0iCjGny9imWgcJa4Tkk~xWYIHClkqeMTRevH7eZSIFqBJQ40MBGKE6bEGmFgiPlX5JJos1AEpBO3ro8YfyIw2Evl~sTiQ92x1vbsleS7twS9b93itMm2xgKnGr4CkgrgnQmGAZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the public‑comment portion of the committee, two Gallup speakers asked lawmakers to consider action on manufactured housing rent increases and the city’s visible unhoused population.

Lynn (identified in testimony as a resident and organizer) said renters at Red Hill Mobile Home Park formed the Red Hill Mobile Home Park Owners Association after consecutive double‑digit rent increases in recent years and asked legislators to support forthcoming statewide proposals to cap annual rent increases for manufactured‑home lot rents. Lynn said the group is aligning with the Land of Enchantment Manufactured Homeowners Alliance and urged the committee to support legislation that limits annual rent increases so that the state’s older and fixed‑income residents are not displaced.

Marilyn Beck, who identified herself as acting chair of a Gallup unhoused task force, also addressed the committee and tied affordable housing pressures to rising street homelessness in Gallup. Beck said local owners have increased lot rents “over 10% each time” and that long‑term residents with fixed incomes are being pushed toward housing insecurity; she urged coordinated legislative attention and said local task‑force work is underway.

Both speakers asked the committee to consider stronger state protections and resources for manufactured‑home residents and for measures to reduce and prevent homelessness in small communities. The presenters requested outreach, advocacy and legislative attention during the next session.

Ending: Committee members acknowledged receipt of the comments and senators present noted the testimony would be part of the record; no immediate agency action or vote was taken during the hearing.","Two public commenters from Gallup told the committee that out‑of‑state owners have raised space rents more than 10 percent annually at a mobile home park, and that local coalitions are forming to seek caps and state protections while the community also faces visible street homelessness.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6131874,"Health Care Authority warns federal reconciliation bill will cut Medicaid and SNAP funding, increase paperwork and threaten rural hospitals",1286,4176000,5462000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348&start=4176&end=5462","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727760-fb0c6104f547f26014ea49ced69f3348/thumbnail_4176000.jpg","/articles/6131874/New-Mexico/Health-Care-Authority-warns-federal-reconciliation-bill-will-cut-Medicaid-and-SNAP-funding-increase-paperwork-and-threaten-rural-hospitals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131874-4457d773db8e204e48087316ee57e0b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770538970&Signature=fglGAzdMI~W8Aqv4bXs4eSlp2wwkPxlw05C1xTlUx~Ax-O4tywwwGdtsjxXX5AHhIjriF63rO67oY5X4-5LhqhKqH0CFpe6h7-dXWJghJhpnSOExXQYdQDLBiIUeugQPmBX9yW~2BHSqZ-jbY0d4kZgQJmrXShUJN--c-9FiXbSegK7I28TyiP5b2H-XGkC15RpjJtvOPJjjRhI7ZxhBmNGaM~xXbmDQOIwDFrrbjFpqDxf7Q6W63cdljzpHcZDkrVC93zkrX3T~kQJG6lW3dio74FGJyVQzSWUoKjGtTue2FKEvS9zZSuufyEL5zcxoxE72pdNIWXYZVn6KNM16eA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carrie Armijo, cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority, told a legislative committee that provisions in the federal reconciliation bill and anticipated CMS rules will substantially affect New Mexico’s Medicaid and SNAP programs and could begin to take effect in late 2025 and 2026.

Armijo said the state serves roughly 848,966 New Mexicans through HCA programs and that changes to Medicaid and SNAP “are going to affect every New Mexican.” She warned that New Mexico ranks among the highest in projected job losses from reductions to Medicaid and SNAP funding and said that the Health Care Authority is preparing staffing, IT and budget requests to respond.

Key changes the agency described include: community or work‑engagement requirements for some adults (scheduled to start Dec. 31, 2026 as presented), more frequent Medicaid eligibility checks for most adults (moving from annual to six‑month renewals), and a reduction in retroactive Medicaid coverage to one month (effective Jan. 1, 2027 as stated). Armijo also said CMS may act administratively to reduce certain enhanced provider payments toward 100 percent of Medicare in future years and that provider‑tax‑funded supplemental payments are set to phase down starting in fiscal 2028.

On SNAP, Armijo described a new federal requirement that states share a portion of SNAP benefit costs if their payment‑error rate exceeds federal thresholds; she said New Mexico’s payment error rate was near 15 percent and that states with error rates above 10 percent would face a cost share that could be substantial. The reconciliation bill will also shift more of SNAP administrative cost to states (state share rising toward 75 percent), and Armijo said the maximum SNAP allotment formula will reset this October, producing a lower maximum monthly benefit.

The agency provided several projected impacts: Armijo said nearly 89,000 New Mexicans could lose Medicaid coverage over time, that roughly 254,000 would face increased paperwork or administrative burdens to retain coverage, and that 42,000 could face changes tied to immigration status. On SNAP, she said about 459,000 New Mexicans receive benefits today; she estimated 16,000 could lose SNAP due to immigration status changes this October, 55,000 could be subject to new work requirements, and 20,000 could lose SNAP benefits outright under new eligibility rules. Armijo also told the committee the HCA expects a $47 million state cost to administer SNAP under the new federal funding formula and that the agency will include that request in its FY27 budget submission.

Armijo warned of second‑order effects on providers and the market: higher premiums in the private market, lower Medicaid leverage to purchase services and possible closures of rural hospitals. She said the state is already watching potential hospital risks and that the Health Care Authority is preparing to apply for rural health transformation funds provided in the federal package.

Committee members pressed about implementation and mitigation. Senator Charlie asked what HCA will do to help people reenroll with increased paperwork; Armijo said the agency plans to request additional FTE for eligibility staff, invest in call centers and customer‑facing portals, seek data interfaces to reduce manual reporting, and coordinate with the Department of Workforce Solutions to minimize burden for people who are working or in training. Armijo emphasized that federal guidance from CMS is still pending in many areas and that state planning must proceed before final rules arrive.

The agency also addressed SNAP payment errors and why New Mexico’s rate rose: Armijo said pandemic flexibilities—including waived interviews and waived interim reporting to avoid gaps in benefit delivery during COVID—and workforce churn and the Medicaid unwinding contributed to higher measured error rates. She said HCA has a remediation plan underway to reduce the error rate but noted the state sits close to the threshold that could trigger significant federal cost sharing.

Armijo told the committee that the HCA sees near‑term technical needs for FY26—eligibility system changes, call center capacity, portal improvements and additional staff—and that legislative engagement should begin early so the state can meet fast federal deadlines.

Ending note: agency officials said they will continue outreach to hospitals, FQHCs, tribes, schools and other stakeholders to try to mitigate coverage losses, preserve marketplace subsidies where possible and use federal rural health transformation funds to shore up at‑risk providers.","The Health Care Authority told lawmakers federal changes will impose work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, reductions to provider payments and SNAP benefit formula resets that could cause coverage loss, benefit cuts and fiscal pressure on New Mexico safety‑net providers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

New Mexico agencies outline mandatory CARA reforms, expanded screening and required reporting for substance‑exposed newborns

Gallup residents urge state attention to rising mobile‑home rents and street homelessness

Health Care Authority warns federal reconciliation bill will cut Medicaid and SNAP funding, increase paperwork and threaten rural hospitals