Senate Memorial 2 requests the New Mexico Health Care Authority to develop and submit a state plan amendment to create a pediatric palliative care benefit under Medicaid. This benefit aims to provide coordinated, interdisciplinary, and family-centered care for children with serious, complex, or life-limiting illnesses, allowing for concurrent curative and palliative treatments without requiring a hospice election. The proposed benefit would include essential services such as pain and symptom management, psychosocial support, care coordination, and 24-hour nurse consultation services, while adhering to nationally recognized palliative care standards.

The memorial emphasizes the need for this benefit due to the current limitations of pediatric hospice care under Medicaid, which is restricted to children with a terminal prognosis of six months or less. This restriction often leads families to decline necessary supportive care. The Health Care Authority is also requested to consult with relevant stakeholders, including the New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care and pediatric care providers, in preparing the state plan amendment. Additionally, the authority is tasked with providing updates on the progress of the amendment by October 1, 2026, and exploring strategies to enhance access to pediatric hospice care and support for providers.