In addition to other duties and powers in the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange Act, the board shall:
A. in consultation with the superintendent:
(1) establish policies and procedures for the review and recommendation of health benefits plans to be offered on the exchange;
(2) determine additional minimum requirements for a health insurance issuer to be considered for participation in the exchange; and
(3) determine standards and criteria for health benefits plans to be offered through the exchange that offer an optimal level of choice, value, quality and service and that are in the best interests of qualified individuals and qualified small employers;
B. establish policies and procedures that allow city, county and state governments, Indian nations, tribes and pueblos, tribal organizations, urban Native American organizations, private foundations and other entities to pay premiums and cost-sharing on behalf of qualified individuals consistent with federal requirements;
C. provide for the operation of a toll-free hotline to respond to requests for assistance, using staff that is trained to provide assistance in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner;
D. provide for an annual regular enrollment period and special enrollment periods in the best interest of qualified individuals and qualified small employers;
E. maintain an internet website through which enrollees and prospective enrollees of qualified health plans may obtain standardized comparative information on those plans;
F. use a standardized format for presenting health benefit plan options in the exchange;
G. determine the criteria and process for eligibility, enrollment and disenrollment of enrollees and potential enrollees in the exchange and coordinate that process with the human services department in order to ensure consistent eligibility and enrollment processes and seamless transitions between coverages;
H. inform individuals of eligibility requirements for medicaid, the children's health insurance program or other applicable state or local public programs. If the exchange assesses that an individual may be eligible for a program, the board shall share information with that program to facilitate the eligibility determination and enrollment of the individual;
I. establish and make available by electronic means a calculator to determine the actual cost of coverage after the application of any premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions under applicable federal or state law;
J. perform duties required of, or delegated to, the exchange by the secretary of the United States department of health and human services or the United States secretary of the treasury related to determining eligibility for premium tax credits or reduced cost sharing;
K. maintain a statewide consumer assistance program, including a navigator program; and
L. maintain a small business health options program exchange through which qualified employers may access coverage for their employees, providing as appropriate premium aggregation and other related services to minimize the administrative burdens for qualified employers and to:
(1) enable a qualified employer to specify a level of coverage so that its employees may enroll in a qualified health plan offered through the small business health options program exchange at the specified level of coverage; or
(2) enable a qualified employer to provide a specific amount or other payment formulated in accordance with federal law to be used as part of an employee's choice of plan.
History: Laws 2020, ch. 35, § 6.
ANNOTATIONSEffective dates. — Laws 2020, ch. 35 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective May 20, 2020, 90 days after adjournment of the legislature.