How cuts in Medicaid will affect Arizonans

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its budget resolution which included house committees to be ordered to cut costs. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, is being tasked with cutting at least $880 billion over ten years.

More than two million people in Arizona are enrolled in Medicaid, known as AHCCCS or Access.

Medicaid cuts seem inevitable and could affect 2.1 million people in our state. In Arizona, we have a “trigger law” meaning that if federal funding falls below 80%, it could remove coverage under the expansion plan for thousands.

That could cause enrollment freezes, cuts to benefits, lower reimbursements, increased state spending, cost-shifting, more uncompensated care, reduced services and possible hospital closures of smaller, rural hospitals.

Ann-Marie Alameddin, President and CEO of Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA), joined us to elaborate on the issue.

According to Alameddin, these cuts would be devastating for Arizonans of low income households who cannot afford healthcare.

“These cuts would absolutely be devastating if Medicaid is reduced. The House is trying to find $800 billion to extend the Trump Administration tax cuts, and they’re looking at Medicare to do that,” Alameddin said.

Such cuts would cut off hundreds of thousands of Arizonans from vital services and would impact Arizona’s overall economy.

“Currently, there’s two million people in Access in Arizona. That’s one in four Arizonans. It’s up to 750,000 Arizonans who might lose their health care coverage, which is so significant for those 750,000 patients,” Alameddin said.

The cuts will directly impact thousands of patients who may find themselves losing their health care coverage. This will be detrimental for any patient with a chronic condition where it is vital to go to follow-up appointments with their doctor and receive their medication.