By FRED NATHAN JR.
Founder & Executive Director
Think New Mexico

New Mexicans who have been suffering from the impacts of the state’s critical shortage of health care providers will soon have better access to care thanks to impressive work by Representative Christine Chandler during this year’s legislative session.

Representative Chandler, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, took on the biggest challenge of the session and got it done, winning passage of a major bill to reform the state’s medical malpractice law. House Bill 99 brings New Mexico’s malpractice law in line with other states like Colorado and addresses the main reason why two-thirds of New Mexico doctors are considering retiring early or leaving the state.

Last year, a less comprehensive malpractice reform bill did not make it out of its first committee. This year, House Bill 99, sponsored by Chair Chandler, passed the House 66-3 and the Senate 40-2.

While those overwhelming votes may make it look easy, getting there took many hours of negotiations with a wide array of stakeholders and legislators. As the bill made its way through the legislature, Chair Chandler successfully overcame multiple efforts to weaken or water down her reforms. House Speaker Javier Martinez stated that he had never seen a legislator work harder on a bill.

Along with passing this landmark malpractice reform legislation, Chair Chandler also drafted and won passage of House Bill 66, which makes New Mexico’s student loan repayment program for health care professionals the most generous in the nation. Before that reform, 36 other states offered more generous repayment programs, undercutting New Mexico’s ability to attract new providers carrying heavy burdens of student loan debt.

We commend Chair Chandler for her leadership this session in championing critically needed reforms to address the health care worker shortage and improve access to health care for her constituents and all New Mexicans.