Under the rule of Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico’s Medicaid-funded abortion program continues to operate under a shroud of secrecy, according to a recent investigation by Abortion Free New Mexico, according to Life News. The pro-life watchdog group filed an Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) request on February 6, 2025, seeking a detailed breakdown of abortions paid for by New Mexico Medicaid between 2022 and 2024. The response they received from the New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) was described as “unprofessional, unclear and incomplete.”
The request, submitted by Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico, asked for five specific data points: the total amount paid for abortions by Medicaid, the number and type (chemical or surgical) of procedures, the providers involved, gestational ages, and how many abortions were performed on undocumented immigrants. Instead of providing a full accounting, the HCA replied with a vague one-sentence response: “The New Mexico Health Care Authority, $2,980,083.31 was paid in PregTerm through 2022-2024. The New Mexico Health Care Authority does not have documents responsive to the remainder of this request.”
After continued inquiries, the HCA revised the total to over $3.7 million—$3,768,818.32—highlighting a troubling inconsistency in state reporting. A follow-up letter on April 16, 2025, revealed that 2024 had the highest amount of Medicaid funds used for abortion services. Yet key details—such as the number of procedures and provider information—remain concealed.
“This is unfortunately the norm in Democrat-run states like New Mexico,” said Shaver. “The New Mexico Health Care Authority denied that Medicaid even pays for abortions but gave two contradicting dollar amounts for PregTerm, which is understood to mean medical or surgical abortions. For a state that is so proud to champion abortion, why are they so unwilling to release actual abortion numbers that state taxpayers have funded?”
In a further twist, the HCA stated in email correspondence that it didn’t know of any government agency that could provide the requested data and suggested contacting private entities like Planned Parenthood instead. This raised additional concerns about accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.
Historically, previous administrations in New Mexico had fulfilled similar records requests in full, making the current administration’s evasiveness all the more concerning. Abortion Free New Mexico has since reached out to an open government organization for assistance and filed another IPRA request, this time targeting the medical codes used for abortion billing.
New Mexico is one of only 19 states that funds elective abortions through Medicaid using state-only funds, a policy rooted in a 1999 New Mexico Supreme Court ruling. The Court held that the state must fund all medically necessary abortions, citing the Equal Rights Amendment in the New Mexico Constitution.
As Shaver put it, “There is a definite trend in New Mexico to promote abortion but keep citizens in the dark about their shameful deeds.” She pointed to legislation passed in 2024, including SB 57, which now conceals the identities of abortion providers employed by public bodies. “The citizens of New Mexico deserve transparency from their government, and every innocent life should be protected under the law—born and preborn.”
I always wondered why the state had no money for the people of the state on Medicaid. I lost my medicaid a few years ago, because of reasons I was not given. But now I know why. Because the money that should have been going to the people of NM who needed it and were retired were not considered important enough to the democrats. Only women wanting to murder their unborn babies were important.
Kim Jung Un is proud of the way MLG runs NM. its her way or no way. the cuckold democrat males in the legislature question nothing. they challenge nothing. they are loyal to Mommy Dearest to the bitter end. What a disgusting state government the democrat voters of NM have given us.
And our supreme court is as crooked as the rest of the elites in Santa Fe. Well, at least we know way medicade is without funds. One party rule certainly has its rotten underbelly!
FRAUD
What an EVIL and Satanic goal for a Governor who should be working to protect and service all NM citizens. MLG is doing all she can to murder as many babies (born and unborn) as she can and taxpayers are paying for the murders. MLG even wanted to be the Abortion Czar for the USA if Harris had been elected. Voters aren’t the ONLY ones at fault for such a trash of a NM government, we need a Republican who can stand up to the career politicians here in NM, those living off the backs of citizens and building fat bank accounts. The same politicians keep running to be elected and no Republican has stepped in to try to make a change to get NM out of the garbage rut we are in. I’m so sorry I moved here and now I’m stuck.
Absolute, pure evil!
No regard for human life in the womb or on the streets. ( Democrats )
In addition to my first comment…………………..NO ABORTION should be government/taxpayer funded. For those using abortion as a birth control method should pay for it out of their own pocket and then have their tubes tied. No more killing babies as birth control!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It sounds to me there needs to be an audit where all that money is going.Just like our entire NM government needs a look at by Musk and his crew. Anyone who is willing to kill babies for money is capable of stealing taxpayer money.
This state steals and manipulates money all the time. Then changes laws and other verbiage to protect themselves from being investigated and going to jail.
MLGruesome is a joke of a governor and a worse example of a human being. Disgusting.
It’s a sad day in NM MLG and her cronies should be ashamed of themselves getting money for killing God’s children I wonder if their parents had any kids that lived
Where’s DOGE?