State officials demanded Monday that the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) Foundation return another $147,000 of $812,500 in state funds that had been intended for completion of a fresco of New Mexico history.

The Foundation had already surrendered more than $138,000 in March.

Auditors did not ask to see Foundation bank statements for the account into which state funds were deposited, State Auditor’s Office Chief of Staff Evan Blackstone said Monday evening.

Proposed patient fees for emergency room visits sparked concern among American Indian tribal representatives at a meeting with state Medicaid officials last week.

Such measures would create new barriers to American Indians’ access to health care, several tribal officials said.

But patient co-pays are “just one idea” being considered by the Governor’s Medicaid overhaul team, Human Services Department spokesman Matt Kennicott said Monday.

If adopted, co-pays would be imposed on a sliding scale, he said.