Lawmakers announce bills to address health care worker shortage

Legislators cited private equity ownership as the key contributor to a lack of workers

Lawmakers announce bills to address health care worker shortage
(Mayer Cuamatzi / NM Political Report)

Susan Morée, New Mexico Political Report

This article was originally published by New Mexico Political Report.

A group of legislators Tuesday announced a slate of bills aimed at improving the quality of healthcare in the face of private equity ownership in New Mexico.

With approximately 38% percent of New Mexico hospitals owned by private equity, legislators are looking to address private equity ownership they say leads to staffing cuts in order to increase profits. Legislators and advocates seeking to address the issue say New Mexico is one of the most vulnerable states for private equity firms buying hospitals and other medical practices. 

Rep. Kathleen Cates, a Democrat from Rio Rancho, plans on sponsoring a bill that would require minimum staffing requirement ratios in New Mexico hospitals. Those ratios would be based on national best practices standards. 

Rep. Kathleen Cates, D - Rio Rancho (Mayer Cuamatzi / NM Political Report)

Cates said when hospitals lower the number of nurses on staff, it leads to high turnover rates as well as poor outcomes for patients. She said her bill would help to address the provider shortage in New Mexico.

“We believe it will be a great recruitment tool,” Cates said during a Tuesday news conference. “When [providers] have an important task and are given an unsafe ratio of provider to patient care, they are definitely not satisfied with their work.”

Rep. Eleanor Chávez, D-Las Cruces, pre-filed House Bill 72, and said on Tuesday her bill would establish a state-level committee made up of a variety of stakeholders who will advise the New Mexico Healthcare Authority on staffing ratios. If a hospital fails to meet recommended ratios and refuses to follow a corrective action plan, it could face civil fines up to $50,000.

Chávez said New Mexico’s healthcare is in a crisis.

“We believe corporate greed is the driver,” Chavez said.

Cates told NM Political Report her bill also has an enforcement mechanism that could lead to funding cuts by the Legislature..

Cates’ second bill would help to provide low-interest home loans to low-income medical and behavioral health workers. 

The loan will provide up to 10% of a down payment and closing costs and would only have to be paid back if the provider sells their house. If the provider remains in their house for more than 10 years, 100% of the loan is forgiven.

Cates told NM Political Report that the housing subsidy bill will come with a request for $5 million from the general fund.

Rep. Marianna Anaya, D-Albuquerque, will also be introducing a bill that would provide services to help health care workers who have already left New Mexico return and could, if enacted, help with everything from navigating licensure requirements to helping returning providers search for housing.

Susan Morée is a reporter for New Mexico Political Report.

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