Arizona is still reeling from the conclusion of an investigation that found fraudulent rehabilitation centers were exploiting and often kidnapping Indigenous people from Southwestern tribes and billing the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for treatment they never provided.
According to 12 News, some of the...
The Arizona Legislature has recessed until Monday June 12, but before they went they passed a slew of legislation that Governor Katie Hobbs then either vetoed or signed.
Governor Hobbs signed three pieces of legislation related directly to healthcare including extensions of state regulatory boards for dentists and naturopaths, and...
In a news conference Tuesday morning, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes and representatives from 13 Arizona tribes made an announcement that fraudulent rehabilitation facilities cost the state "hundreds of millions of dollars" and victimized countless vulnerable Indigenous people.
AZCentral reports that the...
Last week, the Arizona Legislature passed a $17.8 billion bipartisan budget bill. The bill contains several health funding provisions but does not extend the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) which is set to expire at the end of June.
The greatest public health benefit is $150 million into the Arizona Housing Trust...
Last week, the Arizona Senate voted to approve federal funding for Arizona's Medicaid program. Senators voted 26-3 to allocate $3.36 billion to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona's Medicaid program. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee failed to pass a bill that would continue the program through...Arizona News
Now CEO and President for JSN Strategies, Jami Snyder served as director of Arizona's Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), from 2019 through December 2022. MACPAC reviews Medicaid and CHIP access and payment policies and advises Congress on issues affecting Medicaid and CHIP.
Before joining...Arizona News
An analysis from the U.S. Department of Health Services found that unnecessary cancellations of Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process could impact 74% of enrolled children - Arizona is one of four states highlighted for its use of state and federal databases to determine family income as opposed to relying upon...Arizona News
The Arizona State Legislature is currently on their "spring break," meaning that tracking bills is on a hiatus. But some bills of interest are still viable, and Governor Katie Hobbs signed a handful of new laws.
The Arizona Senate passed a bill that would expand cochlear implant coverage for adults on Medicaid, the Arizona Capitol...Top of The Day
In 2021, 42% of Medicaid enrollees aged 19-64 were employed and 15% of working enrollees reported having both Medicaid and employer-sponsored health insurance.
The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Office of Health Policy estimated that in 2021 there were 327,000 employed Medicaid members in Arizona, most (91%)...
A crisis of mental health continues to grip the U.S. and Arizona, with a special focus on young people struggling with mental and behavioral health issues.
In Arizona, the patients with serious mental illness (SMI) at the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) may fall under the care of new management if a bill passes Arizona's legislature this...
Arizona lawmakers made progress on several bills related to healthcare and COVID-19 this week.
Last Tuesday, the Arizona Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved HB 2474, which would prohibit schools from requiring immunizations issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under emergency use authorization for...
This week, the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) gets closer to being led by an independent governing board as the Arizona Senate approved SB 1710, sponsored by Senator Gowan.
As the Arizona Public Health Association (AzPHA) notes, the bill is widely supported because it resolves the current conflict of interest for the Arizona Department...Arizona News
Things are starting to heat up at the legislature with Republican lawmakers sparring with the Democratic Governor's Office over the budget and nominations to department leadership positions.
A bill introduced by Rep. Steve Kaiser (R-Paradise Valley), would allow the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to contract with a third...Arizona News
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) initiated its process to revalidate registered Arizona Medicaid providers in November 2022 when it mailed its first provider cohort correspondence with a simple request: revalidate in the AHCCCS Provider Enrollment Portal (APEP) within 90 days. Only 8% of providers complied,...Arizona News
With the Great Unwinding looming at the end of spring, insurers are now speaking up about their role in Medicaid redeterminations and a special enrollment period (SEP) for enrollees who may lose coverage in the process.
In a memo released at the end of January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the...Arizona News
The bill introduction deadline for both chambers of the Arizona State Legislature has passed with 1,625 bills introduced this year. On Tuesday, the Senate Health Committee voted unanimously to move the purview of the Arizona State Hospital out of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and to an independent committee.
The...Arizona News
The Arizona Legislature convened its 56th First Regular Session on January 9, and a slew of bills were introduced that could have lasting impacts across the Arizona healthcare landscape. Throughout the legislative session, the Hertel Report will monitor the progress of bills identified by stakeholders, advocacy organizations, other...Arizona News
The 2022 edition of the MACStats: Medicaid and CHIP Data Book presents the most current data available on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
According to the report, Arizona's budget for its Medicaid program in 2020 was $40.8 million representing 31% of total federal and state spending; Arizona...
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is reminding enrollees and other members of the public to report any suspicious activity when promised healthcare, residential services or transportation to such services - the agency is concerned that American Indians/Alaskan Natives on tribal lands are especially...
Indigenous community leaders in Arizona are asking for changes in drug and alcohol rehabilitation center regulations following complaints of scammers and human trafficking.
The issue was brought to the attention of the Arizona State Legislature during a hearing by the Ad Hoc Committee for Missing and Murdered Indigenous peoples last...
