How to start a skilled nursing facility in New Mexico

New Mexico requires a Long-term care facility license — skilled nursing facility from New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement — Health Facility Licensing and Certification Bureau to operate a skilled nursing facility. Fee: $12.00 per bed per annual license (initial and renewal); the first temporary license is included in the initial fee.

License required

Yes

License

Long-term care facility license — skilled nursing facility

Issuing agency

New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement — Health Facility Licensing and Certification Bureau

Fee

$12.00 per bed per annual license (initial and renewal); the first temporary license is included in the initial fee.

Renewal

Every year · $12.00 per bed annually.

Medicare certification

Separate from the state license. The state survey agency runs an unannounced standard health survey, a Life Safety Code survey and an emergency-preparedness survey against 42 CFR Part 483 Subpart B. For a Medicare SNF the state certifies and the CMS Location decides Medicare participation; for a Medicaid-only NF the state's certification is final and the state Medicaid agency decides participation.

Regulation

8.370.3 NMAC (licensure fees, eff. 1/28/2025); 7.9.2 NMAC (requirements for long-term care facilities)

1. Apply to the DHI Health Facility Licensing and Certification Bureau for initial licensure with the per-bed fee
2. Operate under a temporary license while the facility demonstrates compliance
3. Pass licensure survey and receive the annual license
4. For Medicare/Medicaid, complete federal certification and enroll with New Mexico Medicaid

Program

New Mexico Medicaid / Turquoise Care (New Mexico Health Care Authority, Medical Assistance Division)

Enrollment portal

Provider & PED Enrollment System at YES.NM.GOV

Application fee

Under the federal rule (42 CFR 455.460), institutional providers pay the CMS application fee when they first enroll, re-enroll or revalidate. The fee is $750 for calendar year 2026. Individual physicians and non-physician practitioners do not pay it. A fee already paid to Medicare or to another state's Medicaid program counts. HCA's enrollment pages do not list a separate state fee.

Fingerprinting

HCA's Provider Enrollment Matrix flags fingerprints as mandatory for home health agencies, DME/medical supply providers, prosthetists/orthotists, and private and state nursing facilities. Under federal rules (42 CFR 455.434 and 455.450), the state places provider types in 'limited', 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels. High-risk providers, and anyone who owns 5% or more of one, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.

Site visit

HCA's Provider Enrollment Matrix flags a mandatory site visit for some entries of these types: ground ambulance, home health agencies, hospice, clinical and diagnostic laboratories, DME/medical supply providers, physical therapists, LMFTs, and prosthetists/orthotists. Under federal rule (42 CFR 455.432), the state must visit moderate- and high-risk providers before and after enrollment. Every enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.

Revalidation

New Mexico revalidates every three years, which is more often than the federal 5-year minimum. Revalidation is rolling and restarted in June 2026. A selected provider gets a 60-day notice, logs in to YES.NM.GOV, updates the record, uploads the documents listed in the Provider Enrollment Matrix, and submits. A provider who does not revalidate can be disenrolled. Expiring licenses and certifications are updated separately through a Recertification application.

Full New Mexico Medicaid enrollment guide →

CON program

No

Agency

New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement (facility licensing only)

New Mexico certificate of need details →

State minimum wage

$12.00 an hour

Effective

2023-01-01

Scheduled increases

No scheduled change found in the official sources reviewed.

HCBS 80/20 rule

Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.

Skilled nursing facilities — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

208 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS Care Compare)

68 (as of Aug 1, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

673,265 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All New Mexico Skilled nursing Medicaid rates, ranked →