Healthcare That Puts You First

Patient-Led New Mexico champions real, patient-centered reform so every New Mexican can access timely, high-quality care no matter where they live. Join the movement that listens to patients, providers, and communities to build a healthcare system that works for everyone.

Over five years, the state lost 248 practicing doctors, an 8.1% decline, while the rest of the country added more than 44,000 physicians, a 7.3% increase.

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Malpractice premiums have skyrocketed since the 2021 law change, increasing by nearly 500% at one small hospital.

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New Mexico had the second-highest increase in liability premiums in the country from 2021 to 2022, at 33%

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An Albuquerque Journal poll found that 59% of Respondents in Albuquerque reported difficulty finding a doctor or specialist in the past year.

White Coat Day: When Patients Join the Movement

Stand alongside 200+ doctors to advocate for better care, access, and health outcomes

When: January 28, 2026 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (MST)

Where: Inn and Spa at Loretto, 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Patient-Led NM invites you to participate in White Coat Day: Patients and Care Teams — a powerful opportunity for patients to advocate for meaningful change in our healthcare system. Healthcare should be timely, equitable, and centered on quality care for every New Mexican. But too many people are facing barriers to access, long wait times, and fragmented care. Your voice matters.

Facing the Healthcare Crisis Together

New Mexico has lost hundreds of physicians, leaving families waiting weeks or traveling hours for care. Patient-Led New Mexico brings patients and doctors to the same table—listening directly to clinicians on the front lines to understand what’s driving shortages and what real solutions are needed to keep care local and accessible.

Dr. Lawrence Andrade Story

Healthcare decisions affect real people. Real families. Real doctors. Dr. Lawrence Andrade’s story is one of many and yours matters too. When patients and providers speak together, change becomes possible.

Karn

New Mexicans are being forced to leave the state for healthcare. After years of waitlists, closed clinics, and failed attempts to find a doctor, one family made the heartbreaking decision to sell their dream home and move out of state just to access timely care. Their story reflects a growing crisis of fewer doctors, longer waits, and real consequences for patients.

Elizabeth

A New Mexico senior has spent years without a consistent primary care doctor as providers leave and appointments fall through. Chronic conditions go unmonitored, referrals are denied, and even urgent injuries face long delays. Their story reflects a growing reality for many patients: unstable care and limited access.

Lee

In a single year, one New Mexico couple was assigned four different primary care doctors as providers repeatedly left. Without a stable physician, they were denied access to routine preventive care like mammograms and bone scans. Their experience highlights a growing breakdown in continuity of care that puts patients’ health at risk.

Patient waiting calmly in a clinic

Why New Mexico Can’t Keep Its Doctors — And What We Can Do About It

New Mexico is facing one of the worst physician shortages in the country—hurting access to care, straining our healthcare system, and putting patients at risk. But the real crisis isn’t just how few doctors we have. It’s how few stay. Here’s what you need to know...

Myth 3: Malpractice reform is driven by corporate hospitals looking to avoid accountability.

Fact: The biggest driver of recent reform efforts is market instability, not corporate preference. Independent actuaries (WTW/MPLA) show: New Mexico’s five-year average loss ratio is 175% (insurers pay $1.75 for every $1.00 collected). The U.S. average is ~75%. New...

Myth 2: Hospitals shouldn’t be included in the Medical Malpractice Act — the law should apply to doctors only.

Fact: Modern medicine is delivered through integrated hospital systems, and most physicians work inside them. A significant majority of New Mexico physicians are hospital-employed or hospital-based (higher than national trends). Nationally, only 47% of physicians...

Myth 1: New Mexico has plenty of doctors — more per capita than neighboring states — so physician shortages aren’t real.

Myth 1: New Mexico has plenty of doctors — more per capita than neighboring states — so physician shortages aren’t real. Fact: Licensing numbers do not reflect how many physicians are actually available to treat New Mexico patients. New Mexico’s license rolls include...

Myth vs. Fact: Understanding New Mexico’s Healthcare Reality

There is a lot of noise around healthcare in New Mexico. Cut through the myths with clear, data backed facts that show what is really driving doctor shortages, rising costs, and access to care for patients across the state.

Myth: New Mexico has plenty of doctors. Shortages aren’t real.

Fact: Licensing counts don’t equal patient access. Many licensed physicians are retired, not practicing, or not accepting patients. In reality, New Mexico has more federally designated shortage areas than neighboring states, with long wait times across many specialties.

Myth: The Medical Malpractice Act should apply only to doctors, not hospitals.

Fact: Modern medicine happens inside hospital systems. Most New Mexico physicians are hospital-employed. Removing hospitals from the Act would expose them to unlimited liability, drive up insurance costs, and threaten essential services like OB, trauma, and ICU care.

Myth: Malpractice reform is about corporate hospitals avoiding accountability.

The real issue is an unstable liability market. New Mexico’s malpractice losses far exceed national averages, with significantly more claims per physician. This instability drives higher premiums, specialist shortages, and fewer insurers willing to operate here.

Myth: New Mexico has a healthy malpractice insurance market.

Fact: The market is widely considered distressed. Only a small number of insurers still write policies in New Mexico. As insurers leave, premiums rise and hospitals and clinics struggle to maintain services, especially in rural areas.

Myth: Expanding medical school enrollment will solve the shortage.

Fact: Retention, not training, is the bottleneck. Only about half of physicians trained in New Mexico stay here. Liability concerns, high premiums, burnout, and unstable practice conditions push doctors to neighboring states.

Myth: Most malpractice payouts go directly to injured patients.

Fact: A growing share is absorbed by system costs. High claim frequency and severity mean more dollars go to litigation, defense, and insurance losses, raising premiums and reducing access to care, particularly in rural communities.

Myth: The malpractice system is working fine. The problem is mismanagement.

Fact: The warning signs are everywhere. Clinic closures, specialty shortages, shrinking insurer participation, and longer wait times show a system under strain. Liability instability is a core structural issue that must be addressed alongside workforce and payment reform.