In a March 24th letter to CMS, the Arizona Heath Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) requested additional flexibility and authority to bolster Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), allow for more virtual visits, extend assessments and...Arizona News
Arizona has received 75% of its share of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the strategic national stockpile or 1.2 million masks, gowns and gloves, but local reporting indicates many healthcare workers are anxious about limited PPE and others are getting reprimanded or ridiculed for wearing masks.
Health Department Director...News
The Trump Administration announced it would not open the federal marketplace for a special enrollment period (SEP) in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Affordable Care Act does allow for enrollment outside of the annual enrollment period for Americans that have lost employer-sponsored health plans, however, a special enrollment...
According to data tracking by the Arizona Department of Health Services and Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the vast majority of patients testing positive for the coronavirus are under the age of 65, with an equal number of hospitalized patients under the age of 65 as over. As of April 1st, 79 people are hospitalized with...
This week, four major insurers announced plans to alleviate financial burdens on patients for COVID-19 treatments.
In addition to sweeping pledges made by most companies to waive bills for coronavirus testing two weeks ago, Cigna, Humana, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare (UHC) introduced plans that would waive consumer costs entirely or...CMS Rules
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding its accelerated and advanced payment program for Medicare providers to support hospitals and doctors on the front lines of the rapidly spreading, global pandemic.
Taking advantage of the recently established Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security...
The coronavirus pandemic poses a myriad of problems for healthcare entities across the country and many see telemedicine as a solution to some of them.
Providers have been gradually implementing telemedicine services slowly for years. But as the need for separation between people has become suddenly paramount, the pace of its...
The Phoenix Business Journal takes a look at how AHCCCS is continuing its role as a leader in value-based care in the Arizona market.
Accountable Care Organizations, value-based networks, achieving the triple, quadruple and even quintuple aim are some of the biggest topics in healthcare.
The Hertel Report just dedicated nearly...
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was passed by Congress and signed by President TrumpMarch 27 and includes $100 billion in direct aid to healthcare providers.
Known as "Phase III," the CARES Act followed the March 18, $104 billion package "Phase II," aimed at expanding benefits for workers and...CMS Rules
The proposed Medicaid rule would have scrutinized eligibility determinations in the Medicaid program. Scheduled for publication in April, the policy was withdrawn Tuesday, March 24 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The proposed rule was meant to strengthen the integrity of the Medicaid eligibility determination...
As the Affordable Care Act turns 10 years old, the country looks back on its successes and controversies -- and looks forward to its uncertain future.
One thing most can agree on: it has transformed healthcare in America.
Matt Eyles, the CEO of the lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans, spoke with FierceHealthcare...
The legislation will establish an outpatient assessment on hospitals that is expected to collect $354 million that would then be leveraged to draw down $1.1B in federal matching dollars to address the Medicaid reimbursement rate shortfall for hospitals, physicians and dentists.
The bill was sponsored by Representative Regina Cobb and...
On March 25, Governor Doug Ducey made a request to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar to open a special enrollment period so individuals who have recently lost a job or had their income reduced due to COVID-19 to access health care on the federal marketplace.
At this time when health insurance is of...
The AHCCCS managed care organization (MCO) didn't meet a deadline for correcting problems in its provider migration project and adjudicating claims. AHCCCS also discovered the Centene-owned insurer had made $8 million in overpayments impacting 1,600 providers across more than 2 million claims.
AHCCCS stated it recognizes the...
Arizona was one of the first states to submit a request to waive certain Medicaid and KidsCare (CHIP) program requirements to address the COVID-19 outbreak. Arizona’s request under the 1135 Waiver are targeted at strengthening the provider workforce, removing barriers to care for AHCCCS members, enhancing Medicaid services and...
The coronavirus outbreak is putting unprecedented strain on local and national economies across the world, and Arizona’s healthcare-centric small businesses are feeling the effects.
Even as money is poured into the healthcare sector to fight the virus, many corners of the industry are hurting. The healthcare landscape has...
Last Friday, a panel of three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit questioned Congressional intent in the creation of short-term health insurance plans on the marketplace while trying to determine the legality of the 2018 expansion of short term plans under the Trump Administration.
In Arizona,...
Officials in the Trump administration are weighing the possibility of opening a special enrollment period to expand coverage to uninsured persons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The unemployment rate has spiked due to the coronavirus, leaving anywhere between 500,000 and 5 million people suddenly without insurance. Arizona currently has...Arizona News
Hospitals and providers participating in Medicare quality value-based purchasing programs received unprecedented relief on Sunday from a Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announcement that relaxes reporting requirements and extends data submission deadlines.
The action is part of the Trump Administration's response...
A man has died and his wife is receiving critical care after both ingested chloroquine phosphate in an attempt to prevent contracting COVID-19.
Chloroquine is used to treat and prevent malaria, whereas chloroquine phosphate is an additive used to clean fish tanks. Experts at Banner Health are warning the public against...
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey drew Betlach out of retirement on March 20 to take the temporary special assignment for 75 days while the Arizona Department of Economic Security's current Director Dr. Cara Christ leads Arizona’s response to COVID-19.
After nearly a decade at the Arizona Healthcare Cost Containment System and nearly 20...
The Arizona Department of Health Services at AZDHS.gov has continuously updated data on the state-level, including the number of positive, pending, ruled out and number of tested cases. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) is providing up-to-the-minute reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak globally as well as specific data breakdowns for each...
Emergency Declarations on the federal and state levels can potentially cause discrepancies in coverage for both private providers and state-provided coverage services like Medicare and Medicaid. Following these declarations, both private insurance companies and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance for...
As Arizona braces for an escalation of the COVID-19 outbreak, Banner Health and other hospitals are reckoning with the possibility of significant resource shortages.
A side by side comparison of Arizona hospital beds and CDC projections paints a dire picture.
On Monday, Holly Ward of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare...
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