Fallout from the Governor’s Move Against Guns & Price Transparency at NM Hospitals

This week on New Mexico in Focus, we address Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive order attempting to ban guns in public in Bernalillo County for 30 days. Wednesday, U.S. District Judge David Urias struck down part of the order, issuing a temporary restraining order, specifically blocking the ban on carrying firearms. Executive Producer Jeff Proctor and a special panel talk through the governor’s action, her call to the feds for help and the larger issue of gun violence in Albuquerque.   

According to a July report from a nonprofit advocacy group, only five of 14 hospitals in New Mexico are compliant with a federal rule regarding price transparency. The semi-annual report comes from the non–profit Patient Rights Advocate, which began its work shortly after the Hospital Transparency Rule went into effect in 2021. The  rule requires hospitals to post five different standard charges for common medical procedures they offer. The rule also requires hospitals to provide patients with an out-of-pocket cost estimator tool or payer-specific negotiated rates for at least 300 shoppable services. For more on their study, Lou DiVizio sits down with Patient Rights Advocate CEO Cynthia Fisher. 

Host: Lou DiVizio 

Segments: 
Governor’s Public Health Order Pt 1: What’s Inside & Opposition 
Correspondent: Jeff Proctor 
Guests: Tom Grover, attorney, former Albuquerque Police sergeant  
Marisa Demarco, national editor, States Newsroom 
Frank Davis, attorney 

Majority of NM Hospitals Noncompliant with Price Transparency Law   
Correspondent: Lou DiVizio 
Guest: Cynthia Fisher, founder & chair, Patient Rights Advocate 

Governor’s Public Health Order Pt 2: Lingering Questions 
Correspondent: Jeff Proctor 
Guests: Tom Grover, attorney, former Albuquerque Police sergeant  
Marisa Demarco, national editor, States Newsroom 
Frank Davis, attorney