Civil Rights

All programs administered by the Otero County Healthcare Services Department are equal opportunity programs. If you believe you have been treated unfairly because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, you may file a complaint. Complaints of discrimination may be filed with the Office of the Otero County Attorney located in the Otero County Building, 1101 New York Ave, Alamogordo, NM 88310.

In accordance with Federal Law, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs, or disability.

Application Denial

If your application has been denied in whole or in part, or county assistance from the fund is denied, modified, or terminated, a written request for a hearing must be sent to the Claims Administrator within thirty (30) days of fund denial, or fund assistance modification, or fund assistance termination. Failure to timely submit a written request for hearing shall result in the denial, modification, or termination being deemed final. The Claims Administrator shall schedule the appeal for reconsideration by the Health Care Board. If the applicant remains dissatisfied with Board action on reconsideration, the applicant shall request a second hearing, in writing, within 15 days of the meeting at which the matter was reconsidered. The Administrator shall schedule a hearing before a hearing officer within 30 days. The hearing shall be conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the County Administrator. Within five days of the hearing, the hearing officer shall render a written decision, by findings of jurisdiction and facts. (§140-15(A)-(E))

Privacy

The information you give Otero County Healthcare Services Department will be used to determine whether your household is eligible or continues to be eligible to take part in the Healthcare Assistance Program (HCAP). We will check this information through computer matching programs or other means. This information will also be used to make sure that you meet program rules and help us to manage the program. This information may be given to other Federal and State agencies for official examination, and to law enforcement officials for the purpose of picking up persons fleeing to avoid the law.

If you get benefits that you were not eligible for you may have to pay them back. If your household must reimburse the county, the information on this application including all Social Security Numbers, may be given to Federal and State agencies, as well as private claims collection agencies for collection action.

A complete Privacy Practice Notice, as required by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), is available. Upon your request, we will provide you with the most current Privacy Practices Notice by either mailing the Notice to an address you provide or by delivering a Notice to you at our office. The most current Notice is also available on this page. Please review it carefully as it describes how we may use and disclose information about you and your ability to access information about you.

Voluntarily Providing SSN

Providing the requested information, including Social Security Numbers of each household member is voluntary. However, each person applying for assistance must give a Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Failure to provide will result in the denial of program benefits.