CARC, Inc. Visit
Carlsbad Medical Center Visit, Aug 5
CARLSBAD, NM, UNITED STATES, August 6, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — On August 5, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) visited Carlsbad Medical Center, a rural hospital in his district that is at risk of having to cut services or close its doors due to Medicaid cuts under the Republican tax law. The Republican cuts to Medicaid jeopardize benefits for more than 110,000 patients across New Mexico – including 40,000 in Rep. Vasquez’s district.
During the visit, Rep. Vasquez met with Carlsbad Medical Center leadership and staff, who explained the hospital’s critical role as the primary point of care for the surrounding community and expressed concerns about the Republican tax law’s impact on affordability and patient health outcomes.
“Carlsbad Medical Center is the cornerstone of care for this community. Many of our patients live in rural surrounding areas, and we are the only hospital within 30 miles,” said Matthew Banks, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Carlsbad Medical Center. “Under the new tax law, we expect to deliver more uncompensated and emergency care, which means a harsher financial reality for our hospital. As Medicaid beneficiaries lose access to their health care, they will no longer be able to afford preventive care that can stave off medical emergencies, and that is heartbreaking.”
Other concerns raised by hospital leadership included:
– Concerns about having to close or limit the hospital’s obstetrics unit due to Republican cuts to Medicaid. Carlsbad Medical Center is the only hospital where women can give birth within a 30-mile radius.
– Concerns about health insurance premiums rising by an average of $700 per year if the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits not being reauthorized before the end of 2025
– An ongoing provider shortage, which strains the already demanding nature of delivering care in a health care desert.
“Health care has been too expensive for a very long time, but under Republicans’ new tax law, the situation is about to get much, much worse for many New Mexicans,” said Vasquez. “No expectant mother should have to worry if she will make it to a hospital in time to give birth, and no family should worry about skyrocketing health care premiums. But in my district, that could very well soon be our new reality thanks to Republicans who chose to cut Medicaid benefits for 110,000 hard working New Mexicans — all so they could give massive tax breaks to the wealthy. It didn’t have to be this way.”
On August 6, 2025, Rep. Vasquez hosted a roundtable with CARC, Inc — a large disability service provider in Carlsbad that provides residential, day program, supported work, and case management services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities — on the impact of Medicaid cuts in New Mexico under the new Republican tax law. During the roundtable, the Congressman heard from concerned Medicaid beneficiaries and their families, as well as care administrators, about the toll Medicaid cuts would have on this community, where 87% of the population supported by CARC is dependent on Medicaid or Medicare for their health care coverage.
“The recent cuts to Medicaid will undoubtedly add challenges to our health care system here in New Mexico, especially for our rural and Tribal communities,” said Vasquez. “I’m working with leaders at the state level to find a way to backfill funding cuts and minimize the pain felt by our community members.”
VIEW RECORDING OF ROUNDTABLE HERE
Laura, a CARC, Inc. employee and single parent of a 12-year-old Medicaid beneficiary, said, “Without the Medicaid benefits, Gracie would not be the success story that she is today. For us, Medicaid is not just a program, it’s a lifeline. My hope is that Medicaid benefits will continue to be available for families like mine in the future.”
Summer Gonzalez, who works for a local cardiologist, said, “We serve a four county area. We serve Roswell, Hobbs, Artesia, and Carlsbad. We were doing outreach events at different places like Hobbs, Roswell, and Artesia, and we were seeing that care was really needed there. They didn’t have a local cardiologist at the time, and everyone was having to travel for care. That’s really hard for people in this area. So we branched out to provide their own sort of practice…but the Medicare cuts would make it pretty hard. We’re operating at a breakeven status almost every month. You know, reimbursement for small rural health facilities is very different than for big facilities in different areas, and having that loss of income for Medicaid would really affect our ability to serve our community.”
Aaron Vega, a PA primary care provider at Presbyterian Medical Services, commented, “Maybe this saves money up top, but in the long run, we’re going to see more costs… A lot of the screenings will be unavailable. Preventative care saves more money in the end, but we’ll have an issue providing that service.”
“During our conversation with Congressman Gabe Vasquez, we heard from local heart specialists, medical clinics, and individuals directly impacted by Medicaid—including one of our own CARC employees whose 12-year-old daughter has developmental disabilities and needs specialized medical professionals on a daily basis. The conversation centered on the devastating effects the proposed Medicaid cuts would have on access to care in our rural and remote community. It’s not just Medicaid recipients who will feel the impact. Many local healthcare providers rely on Medicaid to stay open, and without this funding, everyone in our community will face limited healthcare options. This will further strain an already fragile system and leave individuals without the care they need,” said Karla Niemeier, Director of Development and Communication at CARC, Inc.
In July, Vasquez voted against the Republican tax law which will cause thousands of New Mexicans to lose their health care coverage, harming New Mexicans’ health outcomes for generations to give massive tax cuts for billionaires.
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Delaney Wehn
Office of Rep. Gabe Vasquez
+1 724-249-7158
email us here
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