1. A. For the purposes of this section:

   1. (1) "birth center" means a freestanding birth center licensed by the state for the primary purpose of performing low-risk deliveries that is not a hospital, attached to a hospital or in a hospital and where births are planned to occur away from the pregnant person's residence following a low-risk pregnancy;
   2. (2) "medicaid" means the medical assistance program established pursuant to Title 19 of the federal Social Security Act and regulations issued pursuant to that act; and
   3. (3) "medicaid recipient" means a person whom the department has determined to be eligible to receive medicaid-related services.

2. B. The secretary shall adopt rules that:

   1. (1) create a methodology to determine medicaid facility fee reimbursement rates for birth centers that are comparable to rates for similar services provided at a hospital; and
   2. (2) require annual increases to birth center facility fee reimbursement rates that are equivalent to hospital reimbursement rate increases.

History: Laws 2025, ch. 88, § 1.

ANNOTATIONS

Cross references. — For Title 19 of the federal Social Security Act, see 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.

Effective dates. — Laws 2025, ch. 88 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 20, 2025, 90 days after adjournment of the legislature.