Walk To End Alzheimer’s Hosts Open House March 14
Gessing: Medical Malpractice Success A Win, But More Needed
By PAUL J. GESSING
President
Rio Grande Foundation
The passage of medical malpractice reform is the most important public policy success in New Mexico in more than a decade. It took support from New Mexicans of every political stripe and a bi-partisan coalition in the Legislature to achieve this success, but at long last the State’s malpractice-driven doctor shortage may be over.
In addition to the medical malpractice bill, the Legislature entered New Mexico into the national doctor compact and enacted a $10K tax credit for physicians. Combined, this may be enough to start turning the tide. Read More
Family’s Fate Forever Altered: Los Alamos Medical Center Saves Two Lives
Hannah and Rayne Bachman and their children, Max and new baby Violet. Courtesy/LAMC
Los Alamos Medical Center News:
Contractions began the night of her due date, signaling the on-schedule conclusion of a perfectly healthy pregnancy. Bags were packed, and a trip to Santa Fe was all planned to welcome the Bachman family’s second child into the world. But just hours later, Hannah Bachman found herself in a terrifying emergency fighting for two lives.
“Everything was going fine and normal,” recalled the Los Alamos resident of that moment just more than one month ago. “And then, in the morning, my Read More
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Community Celebrates Rep. Christine Chandler For Successfully Leading The Charge For Medical Malpractice Reform
The Democratic Party of Los Alamos County invited the community to raise a glass to Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, Sandoval and Santa Fe, center, at a ‘Cheers to Chris’ happy hour event Sunday at Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op in Central Park Square. They celebrated Chandler because after years of failed attempts, New Mexico finally has medical malpractice reform — and she led the charge with her HB 99, which passed the House 66-3, survived a bruising committee process, and then passed the Senate 40-2. The bill is now waiting for the governor’s signature. This legislation will help recruit Read More
Luján Meets With Officials, Highlights Federal Funding Secured For Local Communities, Holds RECA Outreach
Sen. Ben Ray Luján on Tuesday visited the Amador Health Center in Las Cruces to meet with the center’s leadership and celebrate federal funding secured for the facility. Courtesy/BRL Office
STATE News:
LAS CRUCES — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) held a series of events this week where he met with local leaders, engaged with local community members, and highlighted federal funding he secured to support health care, strengthen broadband access, and bolster infrastructure in the Las Cruces region. Sen. Lujan also led a public outreach forum to raise awareness about expanded compensation available Read More
Legislation To Eliminate Surprise Facility Fees For Routine Medical Care Heads To Governor’s Desk
NMHCA News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Senate passed a bill today to eliminate facility fees—extra charges separate from doctors’ bills—for routine outpatient services, sending the measure to the governor’s desk for signature.
House Bill 306, sponsored by House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, and Sen. Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics, both Santa Fe Democrats, cleared the Senate on a bipartisan 39-0 vote.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the bill would prohibit hospitals and health systems from charging facility fees directly to patients for preventative outpatient care, outpatient vaccination Read More
Community Invited To Celebrate Rep. Christine Chandler On Her Successful Medical Malpractice Reform Bill This Sunday 3-4 At The Tub
Dist. 43 Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, Sandoval & Santa Fe, on the House floor during the opening of the 30-Day session Jan. 20 at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
From the Democratic Party of Los Alamos County:
Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, Sandoval and Santa Fe, deserves a celebration! After years of failed attempts, New Mexico finally has medical malpractice reform — and our own Los Alamos legislator led the charge.
HB 99 passed the House 66-3, survived a bruising committee process, and then passed the Senate 40-2. The bill is now Read More
New Mexico Legislature Approves SB101 To Make Hospital Funding Program Permanent; Bill Heads To Governor
NMHCA News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Legislature gave unanimous approval Tuesday to Senate Bill 101, legislation that would permanently extend a state program supporting hospitals that serve Medicaid patients across New Mexico.
SB 101 passed with unanimous bipartisan support, clearing the Senate 31–0 and the House 57–0.
The bill repeals the sunset clause in the Health Care Delivery and Access Act and ensures continued financial support for eligible hospitals that care for Medicaid members.
“Making this program permanent helps ensure hospitals across New Mexico have the stability Read More
Medigap Bill Passes House, Heads To Governor’s Desk
ALTSD News:
SANTA FE — A bill giving more than 70,000 New Mexicans who rely on Medicare supplement insurance to cover out-of-pocket health costs the freedom to change their coverage each year—without risking denial over pre-existing conditions – passed the House late Tuesday and heads to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 21, sponsored by Senators Wilson, Woods, Campos, Hickey, Stefanics and Representative Szczepanski, establishes a “birthday rule” for Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) policyholders. The measure allows eligible enrollees to switch to a plan with equal or lesser Read More
Robinson: One-sided Clear Horizons Act Failed In Senate
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2026 New Mexico News Services
The Clear Horizons Act was another of those bills we’ve seen so often in New Mexico that balances the environment against the economy. In a floor vote, the Senate chose the economy.
Senate Bill 18 was one of those marquee bills that got a lot of attention before and during the session. Senate President Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, revamped the bill she carried last year. It would help reduce natural disasters driven by climate change if legislators could cement greenhouse gas reductions in state law, supporters believed.
I’m not Read More
Doctors Thank Rep. Christine Chandler For Leadership In Sponsoring, Championing HB 99 Medical Malpractice Reform
By Robert McAtee, MD
Española
By Elena McAtee, MD
Los Alamos
We would like to express our gratitude to Representative Christine Chandler for her leadership in sponsoring and championing HB 99, a long-needed step toward meaningful medical malpractice reform in New Mexico.
Throughout this process, Representative Chandler listened carefully to her constituents, thoroughly researched this complex issue, and then worked diligently to advance thoughtful
solutions. Passing this legislation required navigating significant resistance and complex competing interests, making its success Read More
New Mexico Healthcare Just Got Closer To Your Home: Telehealth Booths Bring The Doctor To A Library Near You
STATE News:
SANTA FE – It’s no surprise that accessing healthcare in New Mexico’s sparsely populated and geographically isolated communities is difficult. There is a vast health and broadband “desert” in this state and New Mexico State Library, together with The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, is working hard to solve this issue through telehealth booths at public libraries.
Designed to fit within a public library space, these 7 x 7 x 10-foot standalone booths are soundproof, private, ADA compliant, and equipped with a computer connected to high-speed internet. Community Read More
New Mexico Senate Passes Universal Child Care
Bill Sponsor Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup
STATE News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Senate voted Thursday to pass legislation establishing universal child care while protecting the program’s accessibility for working families across the state.
Senate Bill 241, sponsored by Sen. George Muñoz (D-Gallup) and approved on a 25-15 vote, would provide child care to New Mexico families without mandatory co-pays except under specific economic conditions such as inflation or declining oil revenues. If economic triggers are met, co-pays would begin only for families earning above 600% of the Read More
Vitalant Shares February Blood Drive Schedule
Three opportunities to donate blood with Vitalant in February. Sign up today at www.vitalant.org or call 877.258.4825. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen
COMMUNITY News:
February is National Heart Health Awareness Month and Vitalant would like to bring much-needed awareness to the community about how important transfusions are to the critical aspect of managing cardiac surgery patients (link). An estimated 50% of cardiac surgery patients require a blood transfusion, and with this being the month of love, Vitalant is inviting the community to help.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Vitalant Read More
New Mexico Senate Passes Initiative To Address Critical Shortage Of Healthcare Professionals
STATE News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico Senate Democrats marked the passage Feb. 11 of Senate Bill 14 on the Senate Floor, a piece of legislation aimed to significantly expand the state’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program to attract and retain healthcare providers in underserved communities across New Mexico.
Sponsored by Senators Martin Hickey (D – Albuquerque) and Natalie Figueroa (D – Albuquerque), SB 14 has received strong bipartisan support throughout the legislative process, passing unanimously through both the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee (10-0) and the Read More
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New Mexico Environment Department Addresses Repeal Of EPA Endangerment Finding
NMED Secretary James Kenney
NMED News:
SANTA FE — New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Secretary James Kenney issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s repeal of its “endangerment finding” — a policy that has served as the bedrock for federal environment and health advancements for decades:
“Today, the federal government destroyed decades of established policies grounded in hard science recognized by the American and global scientific community. As a science-based organization working to help New Mexicans breathe cleaner air Read More
New Mexico’s Law Makers Facing Medical Malpractice Bill With Higher Caps For Big Hospitals
The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo
By MARGARET O’HARA
The Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico lawmakers are moving forward with a new version of a medical malpractice overhaul bill that would limit the amount jurors could award in punitive damages but includes a higher cap for large hospital systems than other providers.
The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Wednesday evening to approve House Bill 99 after stripping an amendment that would have left punitive damages uncapped for corporate hospitals. The bill still has to make it through a House floor vote, as well as the Senate Read More
