This week's guests on REPORT FROM SANTA FE are Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen and Senate Public Affairs Committee Chair Jerry Ortiz y Pino discussing the ongoing Behavioral Health Crisis in New Mexico. Senator Ortiz y Pino (D-Bernalillo) serves as Chair of the Senate Public Affairs Committee and also chairs the Interim Legislative Health and Human Services Committee. He is a retired social worker. Senator Mary Kay Papen (D-Dona Ana) is the President Pro Tempore of the N.M. Senate, and has received many awards statewide and nationally for her work with mental health issues. The Senators address last week's report by the Attorney General's office exonerating 10 more health agencies of any wrong-doing in the controversial 2013 behavioral health care shake-up. At that time Governor Martinez suspended funding to 15 behavioral health care providers whom her administration accused of overbilling Medicaid by $36 million. Last week's AG report clearing 10 more providers brought to 13 the number of providers cleared of criminal wrongdoing. Investigations into two of them are still ongoing. Health care professionals describe the shutting down of these providers as very disruptive to the delivery of behavioral health care services to New Mexico citizens. More

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