Jay Block, a Senator from New Mexico, has attributed the state's doctor shortages and long patient wait times in its healthcare system to trial lawyers and certain lawmakers. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
"You can thank slimy trial lawyers for the long waits for healthcare in New Mexico," said Jay C Block, New Mexico State Senator from 12th District (R). "They feast on lawsuits and driving doctors away. We had a decent bipartisan bill, SB 176 with many Rs and Ds coming together to help keep doctors in New Mexico but evil money hungry lawyers killed the bill because they give A LOT of money to key Reps and Senators to vote their way. We will be back to try again."
New Mexico has been grappling with a significant shortage of healthcare providers. According to Searchlight New Mexico, 32 out of 33 counties in the state have been designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. Recent policy debates have centered around Medicaid stabilization, malpractice reform, and new oversight for hospital mergers.
The New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee reported in 2023 that average wait times for new patients seeking primary care range from three weeks to two months. The physician-to-patient ratio is approximately 16% worse than the national average.
Think New Mexico reports that between 2017 and 2021, the state lost about 30% of its primary care workforce while the national provider workforce saw modest growth. This underscores significant retention and recruitment challenges within New Mexico.
According to his official biography and Wikipedia, Block is a Republican state senator representing District 12. He is a former Air Force lieutenant colonel known for serving on health-related committees, supporting Medicaid integrity, and opposing further expansion.
