NEW REPORT: Honest Arizona Report Details Drastic Changes to Medicaid That Will Impact Sick Arizonans

TUCSON — Honest Arizona unveiled a new report detailing a drastic rule change that will make it harder for Arizonans with serious illnesses to access Medicaid/AHCCCS.

The Republican Tax Law already imposed massive cuts to Medicaid that will leave millions of Americans unable to afford coverage. This new rule would also place a major administrative burden on those who need care.

According to the report:

“States are concerned that the administrative burden for the new rule will fall to already-strapped clinics and healthcare systems. With a lack of clarity from the federal government on the appropriate documentation for proving that someone is too sick to work, experts fear that individual doctors will be responsible for evaluating each Medicaid enrollee seeking a medical exemption. Particularly in rural areas, where access to care is already limited, this would be a burden on doctors’ time and force doctors to make decisions they are not trained to make. Longer processing times and additional documentation requirements also increase the likelihood that eligible patients lose coverage because of administrative delays. The effects won't stop with the people who lose coverage. Rural hospitals and community health centers depend on Medicaid reimbursements to keep their doors open. When more people become uninsured, hospitals have to absorb the cost of care, emergency rooms become the default for routine visits, and costs are felt across Arizona's health care system.”

###