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SENATE MEMORIAL 12
57
TH LEGISLATURE
- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -
FIRST SESSION
, 2025
INTRODUCED BY
Martin Hickey
A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO PERFORM A STUDY
TO IDENTIFY OPTIONS TO INCREASE PAY FOR PROVIDERS OF MEDICAL
SPECIALTIES TO ENSURE NEW MEXICO IS REGIONALLY COMPETITIVE IN
RECRUITING AND RETAINING THOSE PROVIDERS.
WHEREAS, in recent years, medical specialty provider
groups have been unable to recruit and hire new physicians; and
WHEREAS, it has been reported that New Mexico is the state
with the greatest average age of physicians; and
WHEREAS, nearly one-half of New Mexico residents are
enrolled in medicaid, which only pays medical specialists one
hundred percent of the rate for services that would be covered
by medicare for evaluation and management medical services
codes and just sixty to seventy percent of the rate for
services that would be covered by medicare for procedural
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medical services codes; and
WHEREAS, the medicare program has consistently reduced
physician payments over the past five years; and
WHEREAS, eighteen percent of the population in New Mexico
is covered by medicare, which is three percent higher than the
national average; and
WHEREAS, just twenty-five percent of medical billing in
New Mexico is covered by the commercial market, compared to
other states' commercial market medical billing rates of fifty
to seventy percent, which means New Mexico does not have an
effective cost-shifting mechanism from higher commercial market
rates to balance the amount of government rate billing; and
WHEREAS, New Mexico residents are currently experiencing
delays of six to eighteen months to see a specialist medical
provider, which results in residents experiencing needless
suffering and severely unattended chronic disease
exacerbations;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative finance committee be
requested to perform a study to identify options to increase
pay for providers of medical specialties to ensure New Mexico
is regionally competitive in recruiting and retaining those
providers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature be encouraged
to provide funding to the legislative finance committee in the
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amount of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) to provide
for a contractor to complete the study; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
transmitted to the president pro tempore of the senate, the
speaker of the house of representatives and the director of the
legislative finance committee.
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