Fact:
The biggest driver of recent reform efforts is market instability, not corporate preference.
Independent actuaries (WTW/MPLA) show:
- New Mexico’s five-year average loss ratio is 175% (insurers pay $1.75 for every $1.00 collected).
- The U.S. average is ~75%.
- New Mexico has 50% more paid malpractice claims per capita than neighboring states.
- We have 3× more claims per physician than Texas and Arizona.
A liability environment this unstable hurts patients because it drives:
- Higher insurance premiums
- Loss of medical specialists
- Closure or reduction of essential hospital service lines
- Fewer insurers willing to operate in the state
This is a systemic issue — not a corporate preference.
Sources:
- WTW & Medical Professional Liability Association. (2025). New Mexico MPL Overview & National Analysis. MPLA Summit Presentation.
- National Practitioner Data Bank. (2024). State-level medical malpractice claim trends. HRSA.
- Medical Liability Monitor. (2024). Annual Rate Survey.