Dear Donovan,
Update on Medical Malpractice Reform
On Friday morning, doctors and patients packed the House Health and Human Services Committee to support House Bill 99, medical malpractice reform. The coalition in support of these reforms has continued to grow, with organizations like the American College of OB/GYN's, the New Mexico State Council of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, chambers of commerce from Gallup to Las Vegas, and the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association joining the list.
The good news is that the bill passed out of the committee on a 7-3 vote.
The bad news is that the bill was amended to exclude most hospitals and many other midsized health care clinics and providers from the cap on punitive damages. Thousands of New Mexicans rely on these health care providers, which are often the only facilities serving rural parts of the state; they also employ large numbers of doctors and other health care professionals.
Continuing to expose all of these heath care facilities to unlimited verdicts means that malpractice insurance will continue to remain disproportionately expensive in New Mexico, and as Searchlight New Mexico recently documented, those costs increase likelihood that rural hospitals will close and leave those communities without access to care.
House Bill 99 now goes to the House Judiciary Committee.
If you haven't already contacted your legislators about House Bill 99, please email them and urge them to fix the bill so that it reflects the original intent of the sponsor, and effectively addresses the number one reason why two-thirds of doctors are considering leaving the state, according to a survey of over 1,200 doctors conducted by the legislature's own budget staff.
Keep the Momentum Building for Health Care Worker Compacts
Late last week, the doctor compact passed its single House committee unanimously and now heads to the House floor for a vote - the final step before it goes to the governor for her signature!
However, New Mexico has shortages across the health care professions, and the other health care worker compacts still have a ways to go.
Last week, the House passed bills to join the compacts for EMTs (on a vote of 68-0), dentists (67-0), physician assistants (68-0), physical therapists (67-0), occupational therapists (68-0), and speech therapists and audiologists (67-0). Compacts for counselors and psychologists are scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee this afternoon.
Last year, similar compacts were assigned to just one Senate committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee. This year, they have been sent to two: first Senate Health and Public Affairs, and then Senate Judiciary. This is a challenge because we are nearing the halfway point of this year's 30-day legislative session, so time is limited to get these compacts to the governor's desk before the session adjourns.
Please join us in encouraging the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee to give a speedy hearing to the health care worker compact bills and move them along to the Senate Judiciary Committee as soon as possible. Here are the members of that committee - if you are a constituent of any of them, your voice will carry extra impact:
Chair Linda M. López - linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4482
Vice-Chair Martin Hickey - martin.hickey@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4487
Senator Larry R. Scott - larry.scott@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4701
Senator Jay C. Block - jay.block@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4702
Senator Angel M. Charley - angel.charley@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4513
Senator David M. Gallegos - david@ramirezandsonsinc.com, 505-986-4877
Senator Cindy Nava - cindy.nava@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4365
Senator Shannon D. Pinto - shannon.pinto@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4835
Senator Harold Pope - harold.popejr@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4380
Senator Rex Wilson - rex.wilson@nmlegis.gov, 505-986-4395
And whether or not your senator serves on that committee, please keep encouraging your senator to work with their counterparts in the House and the compact commission legal staff to pass these bills in a form that will allow New Mexico to join all of these interstate compacts, since New Mexicans need expanded access to the full spectrum of health care professionals.
Thank you for speaking up for these important reforms to address the health care worker shortage! We'll be back in touch soon to tell you about the education reforms we are working to pass this session.
Fred, Kristina, Susan, Mandi, Katie, Lauren, and Noah
Think New Mexico
