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Arizona taking steps to combat maternal mortality, one doula at a time
Doulas in Arizona and around the country don’t deliver babies, but these nonmedical labor assistants can make a difference in maternal health outcomes. Of 30 states where the maternal mortality rate is known, Arizona ranked ninth for these deaths from 2018 to 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Phoenix nursery provides model solution for newborns exposed to opioids
In central Phoenix, Hushabye Nursery is home to babies born withdrawing from addictive substances they were exposed to in the womb. Across the country, cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome increased a startling 82% from 2010 to 2017, research shows. In Arizona, these cases increased 41% from 2017 to 2021.
State’s hospital profits soar
Arizona hospitals overall saw huge increases in their profits last year despite -- or more likely, because of -- Covid.
House Republicans kill attempt to expand insurance program for children
The House voted along party lines Thursday to defeat a Democratic attempt to expand KidsCare eligibility by amending a bill funding the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
Paul Petersen pleads guilty, faces jail time
Former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, who was accused of paying women from the Marshall Islands to deliver their babies in the U.S. and of organizing the children’s adoption... […]
Court finds fed law supersedes Arizona ‘balance billing’ law
Hospitals that accept payment from the state's Medicaid program can't then try to collect more by going after money owed to the patient, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday.
Arizona quietly suspends Medicaid work requirement
Arizona has suspended plans to require about 120,000 people to work, volunteer or go to school to receive Medicaid benefits, as courts have taken a dim view of similar mandates in other states.
Medicaid work requirements to take effect in fall 2020
About 120,000 Arizonans are going to have to prove they're working, going to school or doing volunteer service to keep getting free health care. But not just yet.
County expands effort to combat outbreak of HIV infections
As the Valley’s only public teaching health system, you can count on our commitment to caring for low-income, safety net patients. Many people infected by HIV are part of this safety net, and like all other patients, these patients deserve the highest level of care.
State Medicaid agency approves more treatment options for opioid addiction
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Director Jami Snyder approved new treatment options for opioid patients using Medicaid Thursday, after the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee recommended the changes last month.
Doctors call on AHCCCS to add treatment options for opioid addiction
The Arizona Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee will consider Thursday whether to recommend expanding the number of medications to treat opioid dependency that are available to Medicaid enrollees.
Money for dental care for pregnant women missing from budget
Unfortunately, the funding to support SB1088 is missing from initial budget proposals. Officials estimate we need $359,700 from the general fund plus $818,000 in federal Medicaid dollars to fund the program. While not an insignificant amount, the public health implications of failing to provide expectant mothers with dental coverage have a far greater cost. This is why I encourage the legislature [...]
