The Trump Administration's rollout of its new Medicaid block grant policy, dubbed "Healthy Adult Opportunity" was met with backlash from House Democrats, who are moving to vote on a resolution next week that would disapprove the plan.
Block grants give states fixed federal grants to use toward Medicaid spending based on individual...
Arizona’s rising senior population spurred the state’s Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), to partner with three insurers to address the projected shortage for home caregivers. The insurers, Southwest Catholic Health Network Corp., Banner University Family Care and United Healthcare Community...Arizona News
CMS says the proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule (MFAR) will strengthen the fiscal integrity of the Medicaid program and help ensure that state supplemental payments and financing arrangements are transparent and value-driven; tell CMS what you think through February 1.
One thing we know for sure is that MFAR will have...Arizona News
Prior to the New Year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Medicaid expansion with a work requirement in Utah, the latest in a long line of states tying expansion to such a requirement. In 2018, Utah voters approved Medicaid expansion, but it was kept from full implementation by state lawmakers who argued that...Arizona Comings & Goings
Matthew Isiogu and Jakenna Lebsock were promoted to assistant director at AHCCCS’ Division of Health Care Management. Isiogu was formerly the Arizona Medicaid agency’s actuarial and rates administrator and Lebsock was formerly a clinical administrator.
...Arizona News
Arizona Complete Health (ACH) awarded a $25,000 grant to Benson Hospital to renovate an outdated inpatient unit.
According to San Pedro Valley News-Sun, the facility hasn’t been remodeled in “three decades.”
Julia Strange, the hospital’s chief executive officer, commented on how the hospital will put the funds to...Arizona News
AHCCCS has announced its new, social determinants of health (SDOH) focused Whole Person Care Initiative. The program is a collaboration with Arizona’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) to develop systems that screen for risk factors and refer beneficiaries to community resources equipped to address them.
AHCCCS describes the...
A dozen pages with the latest data on the AHCCCS Complete Care market mix, insurers' membership gains and losses YOY, new capitation rates, EPSDT, dental care and SDOH best practices, performance reviews including second-quarter plan report cards and more. Get the latest market footprint on RBHAs, ALTCS, DDD health plans along with...
A dozen pages with the latest data on the AHCCCS Complete Care market mix, insurers' membership gains and losses YOY, new capitation rates, EPSDT, dental care and SDOH best practices, performance reviews including second-quarter plan report cards and more. Get the latest market footprint on RBHAs, ALTCS, DDD health plans along with...Arizona News
A state task force established by Gov. Doug Ducey after an incapacitated woman in the care of Hacienda Healthcare was raped and gave birth last December, issued a report with recommendations to help prevent future incidents.
The 28-page report included 30 recommendations, among them are: improving reporting requirements, better...Arizona News
Arizona children without health insurance is now at the third highest percentage in the nation after increasing more than 10% between 2016 and 2018, according to a report from Georgetown University. Researchers found 8.4% of Arizona kids lacked coverage, placing the state behind Texas and Alaska. In an interview with Tucson.com, Zaida...Arizona News
November is Native American Heritage Month and AHCCCS is celebrating by sponsoring a number of events across the state.
Arizona's Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) highlighted the organization’s ongoing cooperation with Arizona’s tribes.
The agency stated in a press release,
“Led...Arizona News
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) announced suicide prevention training programs to fulfill requirements established by SB 1468, which mandates all school employees who interact with 6-12 grade students receive suicide prevention training at least once every three years. Known as the Mitch Warnock Act , the...Arizona News
Arizona's Medicaid agency took comments on the proposed merger and transition plan of Arizona Complete Health (Centene) and Care1st Health Plan (WellCare) that will result in one insurer - Centene expanding its AHCCCS Complete Care (ACC) market footprint statewide.
AHCCCS approved the transition plan with following provisions:
...Arizona News
Arizona's Medicaid Program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), is implementing work requirements beginning the fall of 2020 in Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties. Eventually, nearly 120,000 Arizona residents on Medicaid will have to prove they are either working, studying or volunteering in order to continue...Arizona News
If you know AHCCCS doesn't allow one MCO to own or manage more than one contract in the same geographic service area (GSA), you're probably curious about the merger's impact on Arizona Complete Health-Complete Care Plan (Centene) and Care1st Health Plan of Arizona (WellCare) since both have members in the Central GSA. Also of concern is...Arizona News
A case manager at the Department of Economic Security (DES) is taking steps to lead a class action suit after filing a civil complaint alleging outstanding unpaid overtime hours for her and hundreds of other state workers in the developmental disabilities division.
Plaintiff Kimberly Spitler has worked for DES since 2017 and...Arizona News
Arizona's Medicaid program is highlighted in the Department of Justice's FY 2018 annual report Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program, recently published with the Department of Health and Human Services
The Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program coordinates federal, state and local law enforcement activities to combat...Arizona News
Centpatico Integrated Care, now Arizona Complete Health, is the regional behavioral health authority in southern Arizona. An increase in police mental health transports and inpatient psychiatric stays in Pima County has Tucson mental health service providers and advocates concerned.
With little patient outcome data, it's...Arizona Comings & Goings
AHCCCS announced it added two new deputy directors to its team. Shelli Silver, who previously served as the assistant director for the agency’s division of health care management (DHCM) for more than 13 years and Kristen Challacombe, who recently joined the agency in 2017 as a senior executive consultant at DHCM.
Shelli...
