From New Mexico Senate Democrats:
SANTA FE – New Mexico State Senators Linda Trujillo and Peter Wirth today announced the introduction of the “Inclusion in Healthcare Act” legislation designed to address New Mexico’s critical healthcare provider shortage by expanding insurance coverage to include licensed naprapaths, chiropractors, and acupuncturists.
The proposed bill models language from the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination against licensed healthcare providers working within their scope of practice. The legislation would ensure that insurance plans cannot deny access or coverage to qualified manual medicine practitioners, opening integrative treatment options for common conditions such as joint pain and back pain, the second and third most common reasons patients seek medical care.
“New Mexico faces a significant shortage of healthcare providers, particularly in our rural communities,” bill sponsor Sen. Linda Trujillo said. “This legislation represents an innovative approach to expanding access to care by leveraging the nearly 1,000 licensed naprapaths, chiropractors, and acupuncturists already practicing across our state. By including these professionals in health insurance plans, we can provide New Mexicans with cost-effective, non-pharmacological treatment options that address the root causes of pain rather than simply masking symptoms. And by increasing the universe of practitioners able to address pain management we should see an uptick in availability of other providers to treat patients.”
Dr. Patrick Nuzzo, president of Southwest University of Naprapathic Medicine, emphasized the transformative potential of the legislation.
“The Inclusion in Healthcare Act represents a bold step forward in how we approach pain management in New Mexico,” Dr. Nuzzo said. “Manual medicine practitioners offer evidence-based, integrative care that can restore health without relying on drugs or surgery. This legislation will put these highly trained professionals on the front lines of pain treatment, providing New Mexicans, especially those in underserved rural areas, with accessible, affordable alternatives that truly work.”
Many of the licensed practitioners who would benefit from this legislation already practice in rural and underserved areas of New Mexico, where access to traditional medical providers is most limited. By authorizing insurance coverage for these services, the bill aims to reduce wait times, expand treatment options, and provide cost-effective alternatives to pharmaceutical interventions.
Pre-filed Senate bills do not yet have bill numbers. The bill number will be assigned when the legislation is introduced on the Senate Floor. You can read the pre-filed legislation here.
About the Inclusion in Healthcare Act:
The Inclusion in Healthcare Act would prohibit health insurance discrimination against licensed naprapaths, chiropractors, and acupuncturists working within their scope of practice, mirroring protections established in the Affordable Care Act. The legislation aims to expand patient access to integrative, non-pharmacological pain treatment while addressing New Mexico’s healthcare provider shortage.