A block of five Republican senators joined forces with Senate Democrats on May 16 to wrest control of the chamber from Sen. President Andy Biggs and provide momentum to Gov. Brewer’s proposal to expand Medicaid in Arizona.

Gov. Jan Brewer said the budget introduced today by Senate President Andy Biggs is fairly close to her own and that she has few problems with the proposal, except for one major exception – it doesn’t include the expansion of Arizona’s Medicaid program.

Gov. Jan Brewer believes she found her “game-changer” in her quest to expand Arizona’s Medicaid program. On April 25, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a guidance memo for the states that appeared to answer a question that has been hovering over Brewer’s top agenda item — whether the state can continue its enrollment freeze for childless adults in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.

Opponents of Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan proposed a state-only health care program for the remaining childless adults still covered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.

After about two months of exploring, Fred DuVal formally announced his campaign for Arizona governor.

Gov. Jan Brewer plans to refocus the Medicaid expansion debate on mental health. In a press conference scheduled for Thursday at the Capitol, Brewer will join mental health professionals, advocates and patients to emphasize the impact that the governor’s Medicaid expansion plan will have on people with serious mental illness.

State Senate President Andy Biggs strongly indicated today he will allow a vote on Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan even though he’s adamantly opposed to it.

A small group of conservative doctors gathered at the Capitol in opposition to Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal, arguing that it will damage health care in Arizona and cause a host of problems at the federal level.

The contentiousness of the debate over Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion proposal was on full display during the Legislature’s first public hearing Wednesday, where advocates and proponents debated every facet of the plan.

A proposal by Gov. Jan Brewer to expand the state's Medicaid plan under provisions of the federal health care overhaul gets it first legislative hearing Wednesday.