Healthcare access and affordability
Healthcare is the top concern for New Mexico primary voters in 2026, cited by 23% of likely voters. The state budget includes over $17 billion in total health care funding, and the legislature enacted medical malpractice reform, interstate physician licensing compacts, and elimination of the gross receipts tax on medical services. Federal Medicaid and health program cuts under the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' are threatening state health care budgets, prompting the state to backfill with the Health Care Affordability Fund.
How should New Mexico address healthcare access and affordability, especially amid federal funding cuts?
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Sources
Emerson College Polling — https://emersoncollegepolling.com/new-mexico-2026-poll
Healthcare and the economy are the top issues for New Mexico likely primary voters, at 23% respectively, followed by crime (17%), education (12%), housing affordability (9%).
New Mexico Indian Affairs Department — https://www.iad.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/IAD_LegislativeReport_digital_FINAL_APPROVED.pdf
The budget includes over $17 billion in total funding to support health care programs, key initiatives, and hospital operations. This includes increased revenue to the Health Care Affordability Fund, which allocates $366 million to continue to keep coverage affordable during the cuts at the federal level.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham — https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2026/01/20/governor-delivers-2026-state-of-the-state-address
Medical malpractice reform to lower the cost of care and keep health care professionals in New Mexico while ensuring patient safety. Health care licensing compacts to ease staffing shortages, build a workforce pipeline and improve access for patients. Eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services to keep care affordable.
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Fully replace federal Medicaid cuts with state funds, expand coverage, and eliminate taxes on medical services.
- Use the Health Care Affordability Fund to offset federal cuts and pursue licensing compacts to ease provider shortages.
- Offset federal cuts selectively for the most vulnerable populations while encouraging market-based solutions for others.
- Limit state spending to fill federal gaps; prioritize malpractice reform and deregulation to lower costs naturally.
- Do not use state funds to replace federal health care cuts; reduce the state's role in subsidizing health coverage.