Deb Haaland Dives Into Public Option as Part of Healthcare Plan
Haaland’s Plan Addresses Medicaid Cuts, Healthcare Worker Shortages, and High Care Costs
Albuquerque, N.M. – Today, Deb Haaland, who is running to be the next governor of New Mexico announced her healthcare policy plan. The plan lays out Haaland’s bold agenda to defend Medicaid from Trump’s cuts, fix our doctors and nurses shortage, lower costs, take healthcare back from corporations and make sure every New Mexican can get the care they need. During the press conference, Haaland dove in pushing toward a pathway to a public option for healthcare, so that every New Mexican has access to see a doctor when they’re sick.
Haaland was joined by Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives Javier Martínez, Chair of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee Senator Linda Lopez, Child Psychiatry Fellow Dr. Danielle Rivera, and UNM Critical Care Nurse Jason Bloomer. The plan was made in collaboration with doctors, nurses, healthcare union representatives, public health professionals, and providers across the state.
“I know what it feels like to worry about affording a doctor’s appointment, to face a medical bill you can’t pay, and to be grateful that a safety net was there when you needed it,” said Haaland. “As governor, I will take on the federal government and corporate medicine who stand in the way of New Mexicans’ healthcare. We will get Donald Trump and shareholders out of the doctors’ office – and protect people’s healthcare into the future.”
Haaland’s healthcare agenda includes — approaches that:
- Work toward public coverage for all New Mexicans. Offer an affordable option that can benefit every New Mexican while ensuring health care providers are paid a fair rate for their services.
- Protect New Mexicans’ Medicaid coverage and provide Medicaid for all kids.
- Stop the use of billing data in credit evaluations so New Mexicans can secure housing, auto loans, and competitive interest rates.
- Expand interstate medical compacts for occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychologists, and other healthcare providers.
- Work with colleges and universities to expand the number of slots for nursing programs in New Mexico and help with job placement.
- Invest in the UNM School of Medicine to expand residency slots for rural, Tribal, and underserved communities.
- Invest in competitive salaries for residents and residency sites across the state.
- Use the state’s purchasing power to get better deals on drug prices and lower prescription drug costs and pass legislation to rein in Pharmacy Benefit Managers.
- Support healthcare in rural communities in the short term by increasing the number of mobile health clinics. In the long term, the state will purchase and replace abandoned buildings with modern, medical-ready facilities.
- Partner with Tribal nations to close the healthcare gaps in Indian Country.
- Keep corporate investors out of the doctor’s office by signing into law protections that keep clinical decision-making in the hands of licensed physicians and setting limits to how much any local healthcare market can be owned by a private equity firm.
- Improve health by investing in a clean environment. Use state resources to make sure every New Mexican can drink safe water, defend SNAP and food assistance programs from federal cuts, strengthen air quality monitoring, and bring justice for radiation exposure survivors.
After his recent endorsement, Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives Javier Martínez stood next to Haaland in support of her plan for a healthy New Mexico.
“I look forward to working with Deb Haaland to build a healthcare system that truly puts patients and providers first,” Speaker Martínez said. “Healthcare is a human right and New Mexico will deliver the best healthcare system for its people.”
Also standing next to Haaland at the press conference was Chair of the New Mexico Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee Senator Linda Lopez who said “New Mexicans deserve quality healthcare, but corporate firms drive up costs and limit access to care in New Mexico. Deb Haaland is the only person on the ballot who has a record taking on corporate interests and understands the urgency our communities face getting to reliable healthcare. As Chair of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee, I have been on the frontlines of these fights and I look forward to her partnership to take on private equity, hold bad actors accountable, and deliver real, lasting healthcare solutions for New Mexican families.”
Dr. Danielle Rivera, shared a resident physician perspective stating “As a resident physician at UNM Hospital and a member of CIR SEIU, I see every day how hard our healthcare workforce is working—and how much more support we need to stay and serve in New Mexico. Deb Haaland understands that addressing provider shortages starts with investing in the people on the frontlines. Her plan to raise resident pay, expand training opportunities, and ease the burden of student debt will help ensure that physicians who train here can afford to build their lives here. That’s how we strengthen our workforce and deliver the care New Mexicans deserve.”
University of New Mexico Hospital critical care nurse Jason Bloomer shared his firsthand experience, “Too often I hear from my patients that they are concerned how they will pay for their prescriptions. Patients shouldn’t have to worry about that. Cuts to Medicaid are putting nearly half of our state at risk. That’s why we need a governor who will stand up and fight back. Deb Haaland understands what’s at stake and has a plan to strengthen Medicaid, support New Mexico’s healthcare workforce, and expand access to care across our state.”
Throughout her campaign, Haaland has traveled to all 33 counties across New Mexico and met with families sharing the same stories in different voices: the nurse in Gallup who can’t find enough colleagues to safely staff her unit, the Tribal member who does not have access to reliable transportation for their appointment, the family in Roswell who travels three hours for a specialist, the small business owner in Espanola who can’t afford to insure his employees.
Haaland has firsthand experience with the challenges of our healthcare system – a single parent, she navigated rural healthcare, and utilized Medicaid. In Congress, Haaland fought to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, expand residency programs and address workforce shortages in healthcare. As Secretary of the Interior, she worked to expand mental health resources in schools, and expand healthcare access for Tribes.