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State cuts stop Phoenix man from getting new liver
Francisco Felix was prepped to get a new lifesaving liver at a Phoenix hospital Nov. 16, but returned home a couple hours later without the surgery. The 32-year-old Phoenix resident... […]
We don’t need no stinkin’ federal money
Pearce last week quickly backed away from statements he made about how the state should stop funding AHCCCS and drop out of the Medicaid program, but some of his fellow Republicans think that may be an idea whose time has come.
Let’s make health reform work for Arizona
Arizona has the chance to shape our health care as we make decisions and plans to implement federal health care reform. As a state, we face a great deal of work, but also immense new opportunities, and it’s time for the Arizona Legislature to roll up its sleeves.
Medicaid benefits slashed this week for Arizonans
Arizonans who depend on the state's Medicaid system are facing big cuts in services.
First Things First flush with cash — for now
When lawmakers voted in March to put the referendum on the ballot — a measure that would sweep and dismantle the Early Childhood Development and Health Board Fund — they expected it to put about $325 million into the state’s cash-starved coffers. But as of Sept. 1, the agency had about $100 million more than that on hand.
AHCCCS faces $1B budget deficit in FY12
Arizona's Medicaid agency faces a $1 billion budget shortfall at the start of the 2012 fiscal year as stimulus assistance from the federal government expires, yet another sobering reminder of the fiscal fiasco Arizona is in.
Federal Medicaid help for AZ clears hurdle
A dark cloud hanging over Arizona's budget appears to be disipating after a spending package including billions in federal Medicaid assistance cleared a major hurdle in the U.S. Senate.
‘Tis the season for Medicare Part D ‘doughnut hole’
For many people in Medicare Part D, late summer is usually the time of year when they fall into the infamous “doughnut hole,” which is the coverage gap that requires enrollees to pay all of their medication costs.
AHCCCS director says health care math doesn’t add up
Tom Betlach calls himself a “numbers geek,” which is a really good thing considering he’s in charge of managing Arizona’s Medicaid system while the state’s finances are in the gutter and while the federal government is requiring an even larger investment in health care.
Medicaid money hamstrung by big spending bills
One reason the additional Medicaid money has had such a tough time getting through Congress is that it has been included in spending bills that include extended unemployment benefits and other big-dollar spending items.
Additional Medicaid funding stalls in Congress putting AZ in a bind
Hope is fading that Congress will approve hundreds of millions of dollars that Arizona is counting on to operate its Medicaid program, and state lawmakers don’t know whether they’ll have to scrounge for cash, beg for help or drastically downsize the state-run health care system.
Budget cuts will lead to more pain and suffering
So what does the future look like in Arizona now that the Legislature and the governor have made the deepest cuts in health and human services in 25 years in the last two legislative sessions? It is not a pretty picture.
