The five GOP lawmakers argued New Mexico’s health care system lacks balance: It’s skewed, they said, in the favor of a few injured patients and their attorneys to the detriment of doctors and people in need of care. The imbalance, they added, exacerbates the state’s medical provider shortage by pushing doctors out of the state, challenging recruitment and retention efforts and straining morale.

“Doctors have a very, very tough job,” said Sen. Jay Block of Rio Rancho, a task force member. “I trust these doctors that they’re trying to make the right decision with the tools that they have.”

(Originally published by Santa Fe New Mexican, September 29, 2025)