Rep. Gabe Vasquez urged Congress to extend enhanced premium tax credits, saying more than 51,000 New Mexicans face sharp monthly increases without action.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

LAS CRUCES - U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez on Wednesday warned that thousands of New Mexicans could lose affordable health coverage if Congress allows Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits to expire at the end of the year. Speaking at a roundtable and press conference with patients and health care leaders in Las Cruces, Vasquez said premiums could climb by an average of $578 a month for 51,000 residents, with rural areas hit hardest.

What’s at stake

The enhanced credits were created during the pandemic to lower monthly premiums and expand eligibility for middle-class families. Vasquez said the assistance is now “the difference between being able to see a doctor or losing health coverage altogether.”

Providers warned the ripple effects would stretch beyond household budgets. Virgil Medina, CEO of La Clinica de Familia, said uncompensated care would soar and local clinics could be forced into “very, very difficult decisions” about cutting staff or closing facilities.

Community voices

Doctors and patients described the impact in personal terms. Dr. John Andazola, chief medical officer at La Clinica de Familia, said the cuts could push more families into bankruptcy.

“The number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States is health care bills,” he said. “Today, we are talking about cutting coverage for people that barely have it. We need to put roadblocks in front of all these cuts — to Medicaid cuts, to the expiration of ACA enhanced premium tax credits — to reduce threats to our patients.”

Tamara, a patient, told Vasquez she lives with chronic pain after COVID and relies on specialists.

“If I could no longer see specialists, how would I be able to receive the help I need?” she said. “I know I am not the only one. There are thousands of other people like me.”

Yvette Ramirez Ammerman, CEO of the New Mexico Primary Care Association, said cuts would push more patients to emergency rooms.

“If money goes away from these clinics, they will go away, and they will be very hard to replace,” she said. “Everyone will be in the ERs, and mortality rates will rise.”

Policy fight in Washington

Vasquez is co-sponsoring the Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act, which would make the credits permanent and reverse recent Medicaid cuts. He tied the issue to budget negotiations and the threat of a shutdown.

“This isn’t a red issue, it’s not a blue issue — it’s an American issue,” Vasquez said. “We all deserve access to health care.”

Looking ahead

Vasquez and local leaders said families will see premium realities reflected in marketplace notices if Congress does not extend the credits. They urged swift federal action while state officials weigh short-term options in Santa Fe.

“This is not abstract policy,” Vasquez said. “It’s about real coverage, the health and the well-being of our communities.”

Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.