Pew urges New Mexico to expand treatment access: collaborative care, licensing and mobile methadone units

Nosheen Ahmed, a senior associate at The Pew Charitable Trusts, told the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee that Pew’s state-level work supports four actionable steps to expand timely, evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) care in New Mexico.

Ahmed said the state should first adopt the collaborative care model — an integrated behavioral health approach led by primary care with psychiatric consultation and a behavioral health care manager — and make it a reimbursable Medicaid service by directing the Health Care Authority’s Medical Services Division to activate existing CMS billing codes. “States do not need special waivers or state plan amendments to activate this code,” Ahmed said, noting that CMS introduced collaborative-care billing codes in 2018 and that 34 states and the District of Columbia have turned them on.

Pew urged the state to set adequate reimbursement rates and invest in statewide education and training so providers will adopt the model. Ahmed cited national and state data to underscore the need: a recent national drug-use survey showed roughly 11 percent of New Mexico adults report alcohol use disorder and the New Mexico Department of Health indicated 1,896 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2023. Ahmed said only about 7.6 percent of people with alcohol use disorder nationally received treatment in 2024, a gap many states have tried to close by reimbursing collaborative care through Medicaid.

Second, Ahmed recommended creating a licensure process for accredited adult residential treatment centers (AARTCs). She told lawmakers that although many AARTCs receive Medicaid dollars only after accreditation and certification, state licensure would set uniform expectations for clinical standards and oversight and should require fidelity to American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria and onsite access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

Third, Pew recommended aligning New Mexico’s opioid treatment program (OTP) rules with federal standards (42 CFR Part 8). Ahmed identified five specific state-level changes Pew recommends: permit guest dosing, eliminate a needs-assessment barrier to open new OTPs, remove pharmacy‑licensing and pharmacist-employment requirements that limit openings, and prohibit administrative discharge solely for continued substance use or missed doses.

Finally, Pew urged policies that increase geographic access to methadone. Ahmed showed maps indicating large areas of New Mexico are more than 30 minutes from an OTP and proposed two approaches: add methadone services through state public health offices (requiring SAMHSA certification and DEA licensing where applicable) and use mobile methadone vans or satellite medication units to bring dosing and related services to rural and underserved communities. “This inhibits individuals with OUD from living normal lives,” she said, describing two‑hour one‑way drives from parts of the state to Albuquerque or Farmington.

Committee members asked about implementation steps, costs and workforce implications. Ahmed said turning on Medicaid service codes is relatively straightforward but that the model’s success depends on reimbursement rates and training campaigns. She also emphasized Pew’s recommendation that states avoid imposing regulations that go beyond federal requirements, which can limit OTP openings, and offered Pew’s follow‑up assistance to provide state‑specific Medicaid billing and payment details.

The committee did not vote on legislation; Ahmed offered to provide additional materials and maps to members and to answer follow‑up questions.