Tonight, an NBC news investigation into allegations of cancer patients being denied medical care in New Mexico, prompting an investigation by the state.

And now I know I'm not the only one. And people tell me that saw me on NBC, Oh, you're the one that was on the news. Well, guess what happened to me?

Barbara Carral first spoke to us on camera in June, the cancer survivor and former nurse at Memorial Medical Center in Los Cruises, recounting the day she says her former employer wouldn't help her as she sought radiation treatment after her diagnosis.

The doctor called back and he said, Well, they won't treat you. And I said, Why? Well, they don't take your insurance.

How did you feel?

I felt betrayed. I was heartbroken. I was scared because what was I going to do now? Where was I going to go get treatment if I couldn't do it here in my own hometown?

In addition to Corral, NBC News found a dozen other cancer patients who reported experiencing similar treatment, denied care if they didn't have insurance or were covered a provider that MMC told them it didn't accept. Some say they were told they could get treatment if they made costly upfront payments. Under its lease agreement with the city and county, MMC is required to continue providing care to those unable to pay the full cost of health care services rendered to them.

It is apparent to me that the management of this facility has failed to place the well-being and safety and care of their patients in the proper place. And in the proper priority.

New Mexico attorney general Raul Torres announcing last week the state will look closely at allegations that the hospital and its operator, LifePoint Health, may have violated state laws.

What specific laws could they potentially have violated in denying this care.

We have an unfair Practices Act. It's a consumer protection law. It has to do with misrepresentations about the type of services that are being provided, in this case, medical services. We also have various provisions that require that indigent people be given access to treatment.

Torres says hearing firsthand from those affected earlier this month opened his eyes to how serious the allegations are.

When we arrived, there were 30 or 40 people filling up that room. There were not only patients, but physicians, former administrators, other folks who came forward and had some connection, some history with the facility, and just the breadth and depth of the things that they were bringing to our attention was truly shocking.

It is a day of reckoning.

Yoli Díaz, a community advocate who provides financial assistance to cancer patients, including Caral, through her nonprofit, Kairlas Cruises, says she raised concerns about the issues with Medical Memorial numerous times to city leaders.

I am concerned for sick residents who live here, and I'm disappointed that access to needed health care does not seem to be a priority.

She's now grateful someone is really listening.

It's hard to find those words, but I feel relief that finally something could happen.

A LifePoint spokesperson told NBC News last month, It's, quote, very rare that it can't help uninsured or underinsured people qualify for financial assistance, also disputing that they've turned people away. Now, in a statement, a spokeswoman for the hospital says, Memorial Medical Center was surprised to learn of this investigation and will be cooperating fully.

Thus far, they have told us and have demonstrated that they're willing to cooperate with this investigation, which I think is a good sign. And we are going to conduct a thorough, fair, and impartial investigation into these claims.

Corral hoping it's a first step towards better care.

I'm hoping that people won't get turned away, that they'll help them find a way to get their treatment.

Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. Valerie, you listened to someone like Barbara just saying so simply when you said, How did you feel? I felt betrayed. Talk to us about what the outcome of this investigation could look like.

So the attorney general says there is the possibility of civil penalties, in other words, fines, if violations are found. And he says his office is also looking into the possibility of violations of federal law, and so they will be working with partners at the federal level to see if that's the case. Lastly, he says at this point, he still can't rule out the possibility of this becoming a criminal investigation in the future. Interesting to note, since they announced their investigation last week, the AG says his office has received more people who say they experience similar things, similar stories of being denied basic care.

Valerie Castro, Important Reporting. Thank you.

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