The city of Santa Fe has announced the formation of a task force to address healthcare accessibility and medical malpractice reform. This initiative comes amid concerns that current policies are driving doctors out of New Mexico, exacerbating provider shortages.
According to a 2023 legislative hearing brief from the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, nearly all of Santa Fe County and much of northern New Mexico are designated as health professional shortage areas. The report indicates that limited reimbursement rates, aging infrastructure, and escalating malpractice costs have created systemic barriers to rural and community-based health access. Analysts warned that without policy reform, New Mexico is projected to face one of the steepest physician shortages in the country by 2030.
Think New Mexico, a nonpartisan policy institute, reported in its 2024 briefing that the state has lost about 30% of its primary care doctors since 2017. This decline is largely attributed to financial strain and liability exposure tied to malpractice insurance. The report noted that New Mexico is the only state to experience a net decline in practicing physicians from 2019–2024, even as the national number rose. It found that malpractice costs, coupled with high administrative burdens, were among the top three reasons physicians cited for leaving practice or relocating to neighboring states.
According to an investigative report by KOAT 7 News, New Mexico has lost at least 248 physicians in the past five years. Malpractice insurance premiums have been cited as a significant contributing factor. The report said that these premiums are roughly double those of neighboring states like Arizona and Colorado, putting local clinics at a competitive disadvantage. KOAT found that many independent practitioners in Santa Fe and Albuquerque are now unable to afford coverage without joining large hospital systems, which reduces access to diverse providers.
