NM’s legislative Democrats’ rhetoric highlights failure to address medical provider shortage, not success
Few public policy debates have been as debated and discussed while also impacting large numbers of New Mexicans in recent years as the the State’s serious shortage of medical providers. You can read the Rio Grande Foundation’s full analysis of the issue both here and here.
As 2025 ends and New Mexico heads into the upcoming 30-day legislative session we are treated to this opinion piece in the Albuquerque Journal from two “progressive” Democrat legislators Linda Trujillo and Katie Duhigg touting all the work that went into putting New Mexico in position to (this coming session) join the national physician compact. They tout the New Mexico-specific alterations made to the compact and all the hard work that went into making it “work” for New Mexicans’ interests.
Of course, this compact already has 42 states as members (and Washington, DC) so it is highly bipartisan and New Mexico’s prior lack of participation obviously made us an outlier. Being an outlier is not helpful when you face the worst medical provider shortage in the nation.
More importantly, even if New Mexico becomes a member of this compact it will have a minimal positive impact of 3% more doctors potentially coming to New Mexico (according to their article). If New Mexico joins the physician compact in 2026 we will be a member of 2 of the 10 compacts (nursing being the other) while NOT a member of the following:
- Psychologists (PSYPACT)
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Counselors
- Physician Assistants
- Dentists and Dental Hygienists
- Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
- Emergency Medical Services personnel
We also impose an awful gross receipts tax that the Legislature and Gov. refuse to completely eliminate on medical providers. We have arguably the worst medical malpractice system in the nation. We have high income taxes relative to our region with the worst schools in the nation and high crime. Our Medicaid rate is #1 in the nation (highest) which further, negatively impacts medical providers.
In other words, New Mexico has a VERY long way to go and numerous issues to address to make itself a more attractive destination for medical providers. Sadly, after years of debate and widespread bipartisan acknowledgement that the medical provider shortage is real and a big problem all we can get in the upcoming 2026 session is membership in ONE paltry compact. No other aspect of the medical provider shortage is being addressed.
As with so many other serious issues negatively impacting New Mexicans their political leaders only address them after they’ve been dragged kicking and screaming to the table. Any thought of proactively and aggressively taking on the issues is simply beyond the capacity of the legislators and MLG.
Read their full article below:
