New Mexico Long-Term Care Information

New Mexico

New Mexico got the 7^th place for providing the greatest amount of public health funds per resident among states, as indicated in America’s Health Rankings for 2013. The state also ranked 5^th in terms of the cleanest air quality. Moreover, New Mexico also saw recognition in having fewer cancer-related deaths than many other states.

Considering all aspects of health, America’s Health Rankings placed New Mexico at 32^nd place. Obesity affected 20% of senior residents in 2013. Meanwhile, the obesity rate among adults ages 45 to 64 was 30%. Approximately 31% of citizens who earn below $25,000 were reported having diabetes.

One of the state’s primary concerns is the residents’ lack of insurability for health. America’s Health Rankings put New Mexico at 48^th place for the number of citizens who enroll in health insurance. According to Trust for America’s Health, almost 22% of New Mexico’s residents, regardless of age, was uninsured in 2012.

Cost of Care

Below are the average daily cost* of long-term care services in New Mexico.

City	Nursing Facility¹	Assisted Living¹	Adult Day Care²	Home Health Aide³
Albuquerque	$237	$114	$152	$120
Santa Fe	$221	$174	N/A	$132

Notes:

*Costs are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
¹Daily average for a private room.
²Based on five days of care per week.
³Based on six hours of care per day, five days per week.

Insurance Options

In New Mexico and eight other states, the new business policies of Mutual of Omaha’s Mutual Care Plus and United LTCi Solutions saw changes to the rates of their inflation riders on March 1, 2012. These adjustments in rates did not apply to in-force clients.

In July 2013, Genworth sent its updated Guaranty Association Notices to policyholders in the state.

MedAmerica improved its FlexCare long-term care insurance product by giving three new options for inflation protection and two for waiting period. Due to these newly-introduced features, applying for FlexCare benefits became two distinct categories: individual business and Association Program business. The new options, along with modifications in FlexCare discounts, took effect on December 9, 2013.

Among the insurance companies that also sell LTCI policies in New Mexico are Banker’s Life, Berkshire Life, Continental General, John Hancock, Massachusetts Mutual, Physicians Mutual, State Farm, Transamerica, United American, and UNUM.

State Long-Term Care Programs

Medicare Part A can help the state’s residents in spending for skilled nursing facility care and home health care. Home health services can also be covered by Medicare Part B, which pays the fees for durable medical equipment. The Senior Medicare Patrol, managed by the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, assists enrollees who may experience fraud with the government health program.

On January 1, 2014, New Mexico initiated Medicaid reform by enacting an improved program with a new name, called Centennial Care. As a modernized health program, Centennial Care promises to cover care costs without restricting eligibility or vital services through the latest system of management.

New Mexico runs a ‘supported’ state-based Marketplace for Medicaid enrollment, where both the federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) and the Medicaid and CHIP agency supervise the processes. Furthermore, the state also approved Medicaid expansion to its citizens for 2014.

The CoLTS Waiver Program helps New Mexico residents in benefitting from skilled care services without leaving their homes. In case these people decide to stay in nursing facilities, CoLTS can assist them in getting back to their residences and still receive care. CoLTS stands for Coordination of Long-Term Services.