Deb Haaland outlines her “plan” for keeping/bringing health care professionals to New Mexico
The lack of medical professionals remains a top issue in New Mexico. As the Rio Grande Foundation has argued many times, this year’s medical malpractice reforms were a first, necessary step, but by no means are they enough to bring enough medical professionals to New Mexico to solve our shortages. Deb Haaland has been light (to say the least) on policy details in her run to be New Mexico’s next governor, but she was recently asked what she’d do to bring medical professionals to New Mexico. Her answers are “enlightening” (scary) to say the least.
Watch the two minute video of Deb responding to this very simple question below. But, in summary her “plan” is:
- Sell them on the outdoors;
- I “hope” we won’t be 50th in math and reading if I’m gov, so we’ll tout our good schools.
- Increase pay (somehow);
- Provide government run health care “option.”
- I wish we didn’t have to rely so much on Medicaid.
Needless to say this isn’t a plan at all. It’s not even a plan for a plan. It’s literally a wish and a prayer. What CAN New Mexico politicians do to improve access to health care? Rio Grande Foundation laid out a detailed plan here. End the GRT on medical services, reduce Medicaid dependency, and expand both scope of practice and telemedicine.