Let’s Talk New Mexico, 5/1, 8a: New Mexico has the highest proportion of private equity- owned hospitals in the country at 38% — the national average is 8%, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. Moreover, we’ve been named most at risk of further private equity takeovers.
Studies from Harvard Medical School and the Stanford Law Review among others, have shown that when profit is the main focus in health care, patient outcomes can suffer, prices can rise and services or staff can be cut. That is why lawmakers recently passed legislation providing oversight of and regulation on hospital ownership transactions. However, there can be benefits as well. When small rural hospitals get new owners with deep pockets, they can use the better funding to improve services.
This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico we’re talking about the role of private equity in healthcare. We’ll talk to the lawmakers who worked on that oversight legislation for over a year, and industry representatives about the different ways for-profit health care can affect communities around the state. And we want to hear from you! Do you agree with regulating hospital ownership, or do you think it disincentivizes investment when we’re already in a health care access crisis? Send us an email at letstalk@KUNM.org, leave a voice message by clicking below, or call in live Thursday morning at 8 and share your thoughts.
GUESTS:
NM Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Bernalillo), Sponsor Senate Bills 15 (2024) and 14 (2025)
NM House Majority Leader, Rep. Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe), Sponsor House Bill 586
Troy Clark, President, New Mexico Hospital Association
