In a recent opinion column published by The Albuquerque Journal, Democrat State Rep. Liz Thomson dismissed growing concerns over New Mexico’s medical malpractice system as nothing more than “political theater” and a “phantom problem.” But physicians across the state—and hard data—tell a very different story.
Thomson, an Albuquerque progressive who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee, doubled down on her opposition to medical malpractice reform, arguing that the real causes of the physician shortage are insufficient pay, student debt, and lack of housing support.
“Now that the gutting of Medicaid makes it more important and urgent than ever that we stop debating phantom problems and focus our attention on the real challenge: ensuring every New Mexican has timely access to quality medical care,” Thomson wrote.
She added, “It doesn’t point fingers at patient advocates and it doesn’t propose solutions that harm a patient’s access to justice,” implying that efforts to reform the state’s high-risk medical malpractice climate are unjustified and unnecessary.
But doctors, hospital administrators, and business owners have warned for years that New Mexico’s out-of-control malpractice insurance costs—particularly after the 2021 amendments to the Medical Malpractice Act—are creating a dangerous climate for providers.
What the Data Shows
Since 2021, when the Legislature raised the liability cap for independent outpatient healthcare facilities from $600,000 to $750,000 (and ultimately up to $1 million by 2027), malpractice insurers have fled the state. The Doctors Company, once a major provider of malpractice insurance in New Mexico, withdrew from covering independent outpatient facilities altogether.
A 2022 report from the New Mexico Medical Society found that more than 100 doctors left the state in just one year, citing skyrocketing premiums and the threat of unlimited personal liability.
In 2023, more than two dozen clinics warned they were planning to close or stop offering high-risk procedures such as OB-GYN and emergency care due to unaffordable coverage. Many providers reported malpractice premiums doubling or tripling after the law changed.
The American Medical Association has consistently ranked New Mexico as one of the most “medico-legally hostile” states in the country, making it one of the hardest places to recruit and retain specialty physicians.
And it’s not just anecdotal. In 2024, the LFC’s own staff acknowledged in testimony that high liability exposure—especially for independent providers—was contributing to the exodus of physicians, particularly in rural areas.
The Consequences
Patients are feeling the effects. Expectant mothers in southeastern New Mexico must now travel hours to find OB-GYN care, and some small hospitals report being unable to find coverage for anesthesia or emergency surgery on certain days.
Meanwhile, Rep. Thomson continues to reject malpractice reform as mere “misinformation.” Her dismissal of these urgent warnings as a “phantom problem” may be politically convenient, but for doctors and patients alike, it’s a very real crisis.
Unless lawmakers take immediate steps to restore balance and fairness to the medical malpractice system, New Mexico risks losing even more of its already limited health care workforce.
Shocker that Liz Thompson says this and feels that way. She has done nothing for state except to bring it down. I was in the Medical field for over 30 years and can attest to what the article says, and recently went out of state to receive spinal surgery as neurosurgeons are almost non existent in the state. This not only drives doctors out of the state, but also residents, and we will ne part of that number that is leaving soon.
Friends of ours faced a similar dilemma and had to go to out of state to get spinal treatment for one of them. My wife has experienced a number of her doctors either retiring or leaving the state. This remains and continues to be a growing issue for seniors as competent medical care flees. This problem lies at the feet of democrat legislators and trial lawyers. They could care less about residents of our state as long as they stay in power and line their pockets.
As long as our neighbors keep voting for democrats, we will continue to decline as a state. And I don’t see the future getting better. In our own neighborhood, many of our neighbors have relocated from California and brought their stinking politics with them. Not a good outlook for our state.
It seems the problem may not be partisan politics on this issue. Apparently a bill (SB 176) was introduced early on during the last session of the legislature with 12 Republicans and 12 Democrats as sponsors. It did not receive a hearing until the 53rd day of the 60 day session. Perhaps the problem lies with those in leadership regardless of political party.
Let’s move out of New Mexico,
We are elderly, but if I could I would. My daughter’s family iis moving to Texas.
Yep. Nevada or Texas… gotta find a military base for my service connected. San Antonio or Vegas here we come.
democrats couldnt tell you the truth if their lives depended on it. Liz Thompsons track record at the round house is a disgrace. wake up voters, you put a loser in charge.
Wife and I have waited 75 days to get her in to a pain doctor. No appointments available. 75 days of suffering. thats not theatre Liz Thompson you jack ass.
UNM medical students graduates MD’s go elsewhere for their residency and never return to NM….I know because three relatives made that decision. How can we have a beautiful state with so many natural resources and have stupid elected officials…Liz Thompson you are a example of what’s wrong with our state, along with your peers who’s intelligence is equal to a rotting rat…and only a good rat is a dead rat…
Jack ass is precisely what she is. She’s a democrat, is she not?
When you are sick, you can’t get a Doctor appt for weeks and weeks but you can get an abortion immediately. Really sad for NM. We can’t heal them but we can kill them. Thanks to Dem ‘government’ who have run this state into a garbage landfill.
Very well stated and it is a shame that we have such a terrible medical system here in N.M. It makes no sense that we have abortion on demand and are spending 20 million on new abortion clinics to bring in out of staters, I guess in a demonrats mind they look at it as extra 1money in taxes. Our elected officials need to start fixing whats broken and quit breaking whats working. I chose to retire here and bring my income to this state, I can also choose to leave this state and take my money elsewhere. I left California because the dems are destroying it and am sad they have N.M. at the top of bad lists and the bottom of good lists. Wake up voters before it’s too late.
Spot on with your comment…. Not sure when those who voted for these crazies will wake up and stop re-election of these ungodly people who are in the back pocket of MLG and the Democrap party. We are in such a sad state and not sure if we will ever recover. We need to drain the swamp of NM for sure.
Its all of the Californians that moved here that has poisoned the politics of the state. The irony is many of them are old retirees with health problems. In their mind its all Trump, despite Biden being in office for the past four and the fact that NM has been under a democrat infestation for the past decade in all three branches and 70 years under leftist control.
Perfectly well said and spot on…
Although it happens, the “bad” doctor is rare. However, between government and “health” insurance, it is now impossible to have a true relationship with any medical provider. AND one of the main things folks forget is the medical profession isn’t called a medical PRACTICE for nothing. Tools to help diagnose are limited because of what insurance tells the doctor they have to do 1st, 2nd and 3rd, limiting what it would COST the insurance company (their only concern). And let us not forget those who are quick to sue without knowing the whole picture. I’m actually surprised anyone wants to practice medicine. We’re lucky to have the ones who HAVE stuck around here. I wouldn’t want to go to bed at night wondering if I wanted to stay in my profession in New Mexico for numerous reasons.
The only “doctors” that MLG and the socialist party aka democrats, are recruiting are infanticide aka abortion “doctors”
Trial lawyers have spread a lot of Dark money around.
My husband and I have lived in NM for 10 years. In that time, we have lost 17 doctors (primary care and specialists) who have left the state or retired. I am on my 4th primary care doctor, my husband on his 3rd. 2 months ago I had an MRI of my brain after waiting months to see a neurologist. I have not had any communication from the neurologist about the results and the earliest follow up appointment is 6 months from my initial appointment.
250,000+ cases of malpractice happen every year in the US. Doctors need to be liable for their lack of care and ignorance. You do not need to raise rates, just allow it to be easier to sue the doctor/nurse in their personal capacity. Now, all of these hospitals and doctors in NM are guilty of the detrimental effects of vaccine injury, especially due to the jab AND the data is now there to support this. Has nothing to do with blue or red side of things. These are facts. Healthcare in NM has always been horrible. But now that it is mostly funded by the federal government, it will more likely never improve.
So UNM School of Medicine is going to spend $600 million of our money to expand. More doctors is a good thing. But, to produce more MDs to just move out of the state due to the unfriendly policies and financial environment in NM. A bad thing.
I am a practicing physician in Farmington and a Democrat. I have nothing against Democrats and view myself as a progressive liberal and virulently anti Trump. The comments from Liz Thompson about the malpractice situation being a non issue and an imaginary problem are not based on any facts. I’d like to know if she has accepted contributions from the trial lawyers association? Can she provide any information on this? What does she think about the fact that out of state law firms have NM lawyers on retainers to serve as “feeders” for potential malpractice cases as NM is viewed as a lucrative and easy place to pursue malpractice claims? How does she feel about the lawsuit that nearly bankrupted the only private hospital in Gallup? The list goes on and on. To simply make some broad ill informed statement that there is no malpractice issue affecting physician supply in this state is ludicrous. As someone who is actively involved in trying to recruit physicians to Farmington, I know first hand that concerns about the malpractice climate in NM is a major concern of applicants. Give me a break. Again, can I please see which special interest groups contributed to your campaign?
A liberal… a progressive… a Democrat… a doctor… in Farmington area… (that’s New Mexico BTW)…
Posting on a conservative platform… complaining about a Democrat lawmakers ignorance of medical malpractice and costs associated with insurance, practioners leaving here or not coming here as the costs to practice health care is a main concern of all potential medical personnel relocating to New Mexico. Wow…
Attorneys have ruled New Mexico since statehood. Its not going to change either, even if the attorneys drive healthcare into the f***ing ground here. I… am simply amazed that TDS hatred has so twisted your mindset that your still a member of the DNC of NM. Are you also suffering from DNC or dead syndrome? Well… we are getting there… the attorney’s, liberals and progressives are pushing it as fast as they can. Thanks fir nuthin… oh… on the Secretary of State’s website, (websearch it for NM), you can find out who donates to who…unless of course…the DNC Democrat or Dead elected NM SOS has restricted open access to all citizens desiring to look that information up… it was transparent in 2020… idk about now tho…
The problem with malpractice is malpractice itself, not that too many malpractice victims are being compensated for their injury. The solution it to reduce the amount of malpractice. One way to do that is for the New Mexico medical licensing board to do more to require retraining or even revoke the licenses of physicians with poor records. According to a recent study by Public Citizen, the NM board ranked 34th in the country in terms of serious disciplinary actions taken per 1,000 licensees from 2021 to 2023. The NM board would have had to have taken over twice as many actions to match the rate of Ohio’s board, the best in the country. There wouldn’t be so much malpractice if the board was more vigorous in requiring physicians with questionable skills to stop practicing or get retrained.
By the looks of Liz, she hasn’t seen the inside of a dr’s office in a very long time.
The malpractice environment in New Mexico has become increasingly hostile and unsustainable for physicians, with lawsuits occurring at nearly twice the national average. As a specialist physician, I personally endured a frivolous lawsuit that felt less like a pursuit of justice and more like extortion. The legal climate here has encouraged a culture where some attorneys act more like ambulance chasers, exploiting a system that has become highly lucrative for filing malpractice claims—regardless of merit. This disturbing trend has been emboldened by lawmakers who appear to prioritize political contributions from the powerful legal lobby over the well-being of the state’s healthcare system. With little support or protection for medical professionals, and facing escalating legal risks, I have made the difficult decision to relocate to another state where the environment is more balanced and fair for physicians.
I am a private practice family physician in Gallup who was raised in Gallup and had been in practice here for 22 years. Due to the fear of lawsuits and ever increasing taxes, my wife who is also a family physician in Gallup both decided to leave Gallup, despite loving our state. The malpractice climate and fear of lawsuits has made the practice of medicine unenjoyable and I practice with fear everyday that I have to be perfect all the time. It is an absolute shame to leave my hometown and my wife and I are leaving close to 9000 patients that we cared for in our practices. Everytime I think we are making a mistake leaving, an article or a comment from a legislature only reaffirms we are making the right decision. It’s a shame that the only ones suffering are the citizens of NM especially in rural communities.
Well Rep Thomson is either just ignorant or complicit with enabling the malpractice lawyers and lobbyists who probably contribute to her campaign coffers. Seems every time one from my household goes to see a Doctor(Las Cruces) they are leaving, have left or planning on leaving the state. We ALL need to be asking why?
Now she’s a real physical icon of health …