Aging with Dignity

A BLUEPRINT FOR NEW MEXICO'S FUTURE

Sam Bregman’s Plan For Older New Mexicans

A Commitment to New Mexico’s Older Adults

New Mexico is home to over 404,000 residents aged 65 and older, representing nearly one in five citizens.

With a growing senior population—diverse in ethnicity, experience, and need—I am committed to building a state where aging is met with dignity, security, and opportunity. I will fight to will ensure that New Mexico’s older adults are not left behind.

I have a deep respect for the contributions of our seniors and we need a bold commitment to secure their future. With smart investments, compassionate reforms, and community-driven solutions, New Mexico can become a national model for aging with dignity and supporting family caregivers.

Strengthen Medicaid & Health Care Access

New Mexico has one of the highest Medicaid reliance rates in the nation.

Over 170,000 residents age 50+ depend on Medicaid for health care
90,000 Medicare enrollees use Medicaid to pay premiums and coinsurance.
7,000 seniors rely on it for nursing home care

In the face of the steep cuts to Medicaid passed by the GOP and signed into law by Donald Trump:

As governor, I will:

Protect Medicaid from federal cuts by leveraging New Mexico state reserves.
Streamline re-enrollment to reduce loss of coverage caused by the disastrous Trump/GOP cuts.
Support bridge coverage programs and community health partnerships to ensure folks who do lose coverage can retain access to health care.

See my health care plan for details on these and other ways I will protect Medicaid.

Support Family Caregivers with Tax Relief

Family caregivers provide over $600 billion in unpaid labor annually in the US, often at great personal cost.

Average out-of-pocket expenses: $7,200/year
4 in 10 caregivers spend 20+ hours/week
6 in 10 incur $1,000+ in annual caregiving costs

As governor, I will:

Create a state tax credit for family caregivers to help cover expenses like home modifications, transportation, and medical supplies. I will include caregivers who don’t live with or claim the person as a dependent but work to support and assist another New Mexican. Other state like Oklahoma have made this work and we can do it here.

Expand Home & Community-Based Services

While Family caregivers need help and support, we must invest in long term services to ensure that New Mexico’s seniors can age at home, with relatives or other non-institutional settings. To meet rising demand for longterm services and supports (LTSS),

As governor, I will:

Invest in the Direct Care Workforce.
Support recruitment, training, and retention of paid in-home and nursing home caregivers. Our seniors’ future depends on this.
Fund free CNA and DSP training programs and partner with our schools to provide training for this service work.
Create career ladders and credential program that can give workers a long-time career in direct care.
Provide transportation, childcare, and mental health counseling to support these critical services.
Launch public campaigns to elevate caregiving as a profession.
Support self-directed care models and tech-enabled home care. We must employ technology to enable as much home care as possible.

Prevent Financial Exploitation & Cybercrime

In 2023, older adults lost $62 billion nationally to scams. New Mexico seniors lost $45.1 million, with rising threats from AI-driven fraud, crypto scams, and deepfakes. Criminals are getting smarter, and they are preying most on older Americans.

As governor, I will:

Require fraud notices in gift card displays and increase penalties for gift card theft.
Implement the reforms listed below and take other actions to fight the financial predators who are scamming older Americans.
Prohibit deceptive predatory long-term real estate listing agreements that lock people into paying fees and charges to unscrupulous agents.
Regulate crypto ATMs and require licensing transparency so people are not paying huge fees or falling victim to scams or fraud.
Close loopholes in “report and hold” laws for suspicious financial transactions so that banks may responsibly put holds on a scam victim’s money –before they pay a scammer.
Require fraud notices in gift card displays and increase penalties for gift card theft.

Increase Funding for Aging & Long-Term Services

As governor, I will:

Boost funding for non-Medicaid in-home services through Area Agencies on Aging.
Expand home-delivered meals, transportation, and adult day services.
Strengthen efforts to detect abuse, neglect, and isolation at New Mexico nursing homes.
Expand adult day services to provide community day care and support for older adults who depend on working caregivers.

Lower Prescription Drug Prices

With many seniors living on fixed incomes, rising drug costs threaten their health and financial stability.

As governor, I will:

Establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), which will review high-cost medications and set upper payment limits and increase transparency around pricing and rebates. There is already legislation in this area and such boards have worked in other states. Let’s get it done here in New Mexico.

Expand Affordable & Accessible Housing

Most homes in New Mexico are not designed for aging in place.

As governor, I will:

Incentivize accessibility in new construction and renovations offering more housing options for older and disabled adults.
Offer tax breaks for home modifications (e.g., zero-step entrances, wide doorways).
Support Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as housing options for seniors and caregivers.
Reform zoning laws to encourage ADU development and multi-generational housing.

Please see my housing plan for details on these and other idea to expand affordable, accessible housing.

Continue Guardianship Reform

As people age and become infirm, older adults often turn decision-making authority on certain matters to guardians. As an Attorney, I recognize the need for such arrangements but will always protect and individual’s rights.

As governor, I will:

Support formalizing supported decision-making agreements as a less restrictive alternative to guardianship, empowering older adults to retain autonomy while receiving needed support.