SANTA FE, N.M. - Protestors gathered at New Mexico's state capitol Friday to rally against a growing health care crisis. Gov. Susana Martinez recently stopped Medicaid funding to 15 behavioral health providers that served 30,000 patients.
Psychiatric nurse practitioner Christa Scorcone had 200 patients with severe mental health issues under her care before the governor cut off funding.
Scorcone said an outside Arizona company has taken over, and one of her patients had to wait more than three hours for a counseling session. Counselors have had to rebuild patient files after computers were confiscated by state officials.
"To work with my clients that I personally have a therapeutic connection with, I would have to compromise my ethical and clinical quality of patient care, and I refuse to do so," Scorcone said.
Several state legislators say they are considering calling a special session of the legislature to order reinstatement of funds to the now-defunct health care agencies.
The Martinez administration says it cut off Medicaid funding because of what is says is widespread overbilling fraud.
