This week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its ten-year budget and economic outlook, which warned of Social Security insolvency, rising Medicaid spending and record high debt and deficits.
Deficits will exceed $3 trillion by 2036, totaling $24.4 trillion over the next decade and debt will reach 120% of Gross Domestic...
Three national insurers delivered earnings this week that, when taken together, sketch a market still adjusting to higher medical cost trends and shifting program economics.
Humana’s update centers squarely on Medicare Advantage (MA). The company reported fourth-quarter revenue of $32.5 billion and full-year revenue of $129.7...National News
A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may share the personal data of Medicaid enrollees with deportation officials.
In an order issued on Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria said that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement,...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly spreading through state Medicaid programs—mostly through the managed care organizations (MCOs) that administer them. A new Urban Institute report finds these tools are increasingly used for risk stratification, prior authorization, and care coordination, yet few states or health plans explain how...National News
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is accusing states of spending billions on healthcare for undocumented immigrants and pursuing policy avenues for remediating that spending. The accused states are pushing back against the federal government's claims.
In a social media post last Friday, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently ran a learning collaborative for 10 participating states as an opportunity to explore and strengthen policies for improving care in Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care Services and Supports (MLTSS) programs.
The program allowed states to collaborate through roundtables, monthly...
States must enforce Medicaid work requirements by January 1, 2027, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have yet to issue guidance for compliance for states eager to start planning its implementation.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) cuts nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid spending over a decade in part by adding...
As the government shutdown continues with no clear end in sight, the extension of subsidies to stabilize skyrocketing ACA premiums approaches a November 1 deadline, when the open enrollment period (OEP) for 2026 goes live. Meanwhile, other areas of the industry are suffering as the government remains closed.
Enhanced subsidies for...Arizona News
On Sept. 18, 2025, a coalition of Democratic congresspeople introduced the Patients Over Profits Act, which would bar insurers and their subsidiaries from owning Medicare Part C or D providers, require divestitures of existing holdings, and prevent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from contracting with Medicare...National News
Republicans are on the defensive against criticism of the Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump earlier this summer.
Representative David Schweikert of Arizona told the Arizona Republic in an interview that the cuts were simply the responsible thing to do and will...National News
This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new initiative to ensure Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollees meet federal citizenship and immigration requirements.
Under the policy, CMS will send states monthly reports listing individuals whose status could not be confirmed through...News
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) this month released the final tally of the number of people expected to lose Medicaid coverage under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and private companies are gearing up to facilitate the implementation of the new law.
Hospitals are bracing for major revenue losses and declining margins as lost...National News
Federal work requirements contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) may conflict with the work requirement programs that some states, including Arizona, were already planning to implement themselves.
For example, the Arizona work requirement proposal includes an additional measure banning "able-bodied adults" from receiving...Arizona News
The Trump administration’s priorities for cutting Medicaid are coming into focus, as CMS proposes new limits on provider taxes and congressional Republicans revise their reconciliation bill to also include restrictions.
On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to restrict states' ability to collect...
This week, Congressional Republicans continue the search for Medicaid tax cuts, this time by returning to reductions of the federal match and the implementation of a per capita spending cap to the negotiating table. It remains clear that Medicaid work requirements alone will be insufficient for total cuts, especially as plan utilization...
The waiver application aligns with Arizona legislation passed in 2015 that requires AHCCCS to request (annually) the federal agency's approval to institute a work requirement for all “able-bodied adults” receiving Medicaid services, place a lifetime limit of five years of Medicaid benefits on “able-bodied adults” and develop and...National News
Superior HealthPlan CEO Mark Sanders was dismissed hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into the insurer’s alleged surveillance of state lawmakers and others. The abrupt leadership change comes as parent company Centene faces mounting scrutiny, including a recent Wall Street Journal report that found it...Arizona News
Last Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget blueprint that includes $880 billion in spending cuts for programs overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While the expectation is that cuts will impact Medicaid, there is little specificity on what they would mean for the program and the shape of the...Arizona News
Arizona lawmakers are considering bills that would affect the healthcare of nearly every Arizonan, on topics ranging from abortion, to Medicaid work requirements, to AI use in healthcare.
Last Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban the use of AI algorithms in the determination of medical claims by 58-0. ...
Congressional Republicans appear to be gearing up to make major cuts to Medicaid in the upcoming round of consolidated appropriations.
Republican lawmakers have made no secret of their desire to roll back the Medicaid expansion enabled by the Affordable Care Act. Critics of expansion have deemed the program a financial waste and a...
