Arizona revenues drop in May, thanks to large business refund
After successive months of growth, state revenues fell in May, when collections fell $9.2 million below the budget forecast. But the culprit doesn’t appear to be a slowing in the economy.
GOP touts $2.5B in tax cuts, but critics say Arizona can’t afford them
Policymakers often point to the state’s conservative spending plan that eschewed accounting gimmicks and set aside money for rainy days as the biggest victory of the Republican supermajority.
KidsCare gets a needed boost
On behalf of the board of directors and staff of the Arizona Foundation for Behavioral Health, I want to acknowledge the UofA Health Network, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and Maricopa Integrated Health System for their efforts to bring forward a proposal to the AHCCCS administration which, with the approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, has reinstituted a modified KidsCare program.
Arizona Medicaid copays challenged by advocacy groups
Two advocacy groups are suing Arizona's Medicaid program over claims of increased and mandatory copayments for low-income adults and childless adults.
Andy Tobin: Federal cuts, uncertainty over ‘Obamacare’ forced tough choices
With his first full session as speaker of the House under his belt, Andy Tobin is feeling pretty pleased with the way things turned out: a balanced budget, money in the “rainy day” fund, and a second economic development package all signed by the governor.
Republicans’ ‘bait-and-switch’ budget lacks vision
Arizona Legislative Republicans did the state a disservice by pushing through a bait-and-switch budget that lacks vision, leaves kids of working families without health care coverage and fails to create jobs.
KidsCare open to nearly 22,000 children
A plan for the federal government and several Arizona hospitals to jointly fund the state’s decimated KidsCare program has come to fruition, and enrollment for the public health insurance program is now open for nearly 22,000 children.
Arizona Supreme Court refuses to hear Medicaid issue
The Arizona Supreme Court is leaving intact an eligibility reduction expected to deny government-paid health care to more than 100,000 low-income people.
Biggs, father of demoted ex-cop, seeks to allow disciplined officers day in court
Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs, whose son was stripped of his duties as a Gilbert police officer for shooting an unarmed man in the groin while off-duty in 2009, is sponsoring a bill to give disciplined cops a chance to take their cases to court.
No relief for hospitals in Brewer’s budget
With an uptick in state revenues, Gov. Jan Brewer is proposing to alleviate some of the pain the state’s Medicaid providers have been experiencing.
The governor wants to give a 3 percent rate increase to state health care providers, including physicians, behavioral health professionals and nursing facilities.
But one group that is among the worst hit by years of incessant b[...]
State Supreme Court to consider Medicaid cuts lawsuit
The Arizona Supreme Court will decide on Feb. 15 whether to hear a case challenging $1.6 billion in cuts to the state Medicaid system.
Medicaid squeeze could squeeze some rural hospitals to death
For years, Holy Cross Hospital managed to keep the doors open to the only nursing home in Nogales, despite losing up to a reported $100,000 per month on its 26 residents, all of whom rely on Medicaid for health insurance.