If there’s a shortcut to spiraling New Mexico’s rural areas into a depression, some politicians seem intent on taking it.
You may have heard about the Trump / Republican budget bill, which slashes funding for tools like Medicaid and SNAP food assistance to finance tax cuts for wealthy corporations and billionaires.
The bill will harm New Mexico’s hardworking families in multiple ways, including taking away healthcare for at least 88,000 and cutting food assistance for 58,000, according to state officials.
It also adds $3.3T to the federal deficit and gives $170B to DHS and ICE to carry out the Trump regime’s deeply unpopular obsession with mass deportation.
The bill originally passed the US House, went to the Senate, and then back to the House again where Republicans passed it per Trump’s demand to sign the budget into law on July 4th.
Families that live in and contribute to rural communities are slated to take the brunt of those drastic cuts, based on a review of data from The NM Healthcare Authority, KFF, and New Mexico Voices for Children.
Driving away medical providers and closing hospitals
Healthcare coverage – including access to providers – is a key tool for New Mexicans to build a good life and contribute to their communities.
For families in rural parts of the state, massive cuts to Medicaid will be especially devastating due to a continued shortage of medical providers.
37% of New Mexico’s Medicaid participants live in a rural area, based on analysis by KFF, which studies healthcare policy across the US.
At least 8 rural hospitals who serve them are at risk of closure within one to three years if Medicaid reimbursements are cut, according to the NM Healthcare Authority. That number could go as high as 15, based on analysis from the UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
The cuts would also have a cascading effect on local economies as New Mexicans are forced to drive even farther to deliver a baby, treat an emergency, see a doctor, or visit a grandparent in a care facility.
Medicaid currently provides healthcare coverage in New Mexico to 350,453 kids, 70,790 older adults, and 11,346 disabled individuals, according to state data.
Take action: Call your local legislators and ask what their plan is to keep hospitals/clinics open.
| Top 15 counties – Medicaid as a percentage of county population | 15 hospitals at risk of closing (*not in order) |
| Sierra County – 73% | Socorro General Hospital |
| Torrance County – 71% | Alta Vista Regional Hospital (Las Vegas) |
| Luna County – 63% | Eastern NM Medical Center (Roswell) |
| Curry County – 53% | Española Hospital |
| McKinley County – 57% | Plains Regional Medical Center Clovis |
| Guadalupe County – 51% | Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital (Gallup) |
| Quay County – 48% | Carlsbad Medical Center |
| San Miguel County – 47% | Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital |
| Socorro County – 47% | Roosevelt General Hospital (Portales) |
| Doña Ana County – 47% | Lovelace Regional Hospital Roswell |
| Cibola County – 47% | Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital (Tucumcari) |
| Rio Arriba County – 47% | Lincoln County Medical Center (Ruidoso) |
| Chaves County – 45% | Miner of Colfax Medical Center (Raton) |
| San Juan County – 45% | Mimbres Memorial Hospital (Deming) |
| Colfax County – 43% | Holy Cross Hospital (Taos) |
Sources: New Mexico Health Care Authority 2022 Data Book – County Fact Sheets | Analysis of Medicaid in rural communities, UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Increasing hunger and harming local stores/markets
SNAP food assistance benefits are another important tool that boosts the independence and overall health of families across New Mexico.
It’s hard to overstate the economic impact of cutting $260B in SNAP funding. Each dollar of SNAP benefits spent equates to $1.79 in economic activity. Many smaller shops and stores, especially in rural communities across New Mexico, rely heavily on SNAP being spent in their stores.
Cutting SNAP also weakens innovative programs like the Double Up Food Bucks initiative, which makes it easy for participants to buy fresh fruits and veggies grown here in New Mexico, putting money in the pocket of local farmers and ranchers.
There are currently 451,200 New Mexicans who use SNAP to purchase groceries, fresh food, and local produce.
Take action: Call your county commissioner and ask them how they plan to fill the gap from cuts to SNAP food assistance.
Top 10 counties, by percentage of households receiving SNAP food assistance
| San Miguel – 30% |
| McKinley – 29% |
| Mora – 28% |
| Cibola – 27% |
| De Baca – 23% |
| Roosevelt – 23% |
| Doña Ana – 23% |
| Luna – 23% |
| Colfax – 22% |
| Chaves – 22% |
Source: Early Childhood County Fact Sheets – New Mexico Voices for Children
This story was originally published May 30 and updated on July 3, 2025