LATEST
Medicaid fraud targeting Indigenous communities continues despite AHCCCS reforms
Though Arizona’s Medicaid agency says behavioral health fraud has stabilized since 2023, questionable sober living homes continue to recruit Native Americans. Lawmakers say systemic oversight failures remain unresolved, while legitimate providers contend the agency’s response is still hindering care for vulnerable patients.
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GOVERNMENT
After judge strikes down abortion laws, Republican lawmakers press ahead with new limits
Republican lawmakers are advancing a new wave of legislation targeting abortion in Arizona, even after a judge struck down several existing restrictions and affirmed voters’ 2024 decision to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
Despite broad support for abortion access in their districts, GOP lawmakers push new restrictions
Voters in 2024 passed Proposition 139, a constitutional amendment guaranteeing Arizonans the right to abortion, with nearly 62% support statewide. An AZCIR analysis shows Republican lawmakers responded by proposing bills and backing court actions that could narrow its reach.
Arizona’s community health centers were built on Medicaid. Now they face uncertainty
Arizona’s community health centers, which serve 870,000 patients, are among the most Medicaid-dependent in the nation. Now, a federal law could strip billions of Medicaid dollars from the state in the coming years — a loss that leaders warn could force clinics to cut services or even close.
Amid student fear and uncertainty, Arizona colleges split on clear policies for ICE on campus
After the Trump administration lifted protections making schools off-limits to immigration enforcement, experts say universities need clear plans for responding to potential on-campus visits from ICE. Arizona’s 20 higher education institutions with the largest in-person enrollments vary on providing such guidance, with ASU and UA lacking explicit policies for what to do if ICE agents show up.
Director of Arizona Medicaid agency resigns following fraud scheme response
Under Carmen Heredia’s leadership, the agency withheld payment to more than 300 businesses as it investigated fraud allegations. The state’s swift response left patients homeless, the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting and ProPublica found.
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