New Mexico Did Not Ensure Attendants Were Qualified To Provide Personal Care Services, Putting Medicaid Enrollees at Risk

We recommend that the New Mexico Human Services Department work with the MCOs todevelop procedures to monitor PCS provider compliance with attendant qualifications, including those related to criminal background checks, abuse registry checks, TB tests, initial written competency tests, annual training, and CPR and first aid certifications; educate providers more frequently through methods such as guidance letters or webinars to increase PCS providers' understanding of attendant qualification requirements; and take corrective action against providers that do not ensure that attendants comply with qualification requirements, which could include removing providers that repeatedly fail to comply with the State's PCS program.