October 15, 2004

The number of Arizonans lacking health insurance came into focus during this week’s presidential debate in Tempe, but advocates involved in the issue disagree on whether the numbers cited by Sen. John Kerry accurately refl ect the state’s situation.

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industries charged Thursday that the state is unfairly shifting to businesses its costs of providing health care to the poor.

Arizona is now officially challenging Congress and the Obama administration over the new federal health care law.

Arizona is now officially challenging Congress and the Obama administration over the new federal health care law.

 The 2000 decision by Arizona voters to provide free health care to more people could come around and bite state taxpayers in the financial backside.

Maricopa County’s health system has lost as much as $129 million because of severe financial miscalculations and a broken computer billing system, county officials revealed Wednesday.

As a child, Melissa Richardson was bounced between foster care homes, group homes and her mother’s home. Stability was in short supply.

The new federal health care plan could cost Arizona $7 billion a year if lawmakers here don't restore the cuts they made to insurance programs. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, said the scheduled elimination of Kids Care on June 15 would put the state at odds with a provision in the federal measure that requires states to maintain their programs as they are when President Barack Obama signs the bill.

Arizona hospitals filed suit Tuesday to void efforts by the state to further cut what it pays health care providers for care provided to Medicaid patients.

Arizona hospitals filed suit Tuesday to void efforts by the state to further cut what it pays health care providers for care provided to Medicaid patients.

Arizona hospitals filed suit Tuesday to void efforts by the state to further cut what it pays health care providers for care provided to Medicaid patients.

About 135,000 Arizonans living in poverty will not be getting their free health care back.

About 135,000 Arizonans living in poverty will not be getting their free health care back.

A proposal to amend Arizona’s Constitution to forbid any law that would restrict a person’s right to choose and pay directly for medical care remains too close

The ongoing contract dispute between Cigna HealthCare and Catholic Healthcare West is a symptom of a bigger problem of decreasing government funding of health care, according to John Rivers, president and CEO of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.

The call for universal health care in Arizona has gone mainstream. The venerable Arizona Town Hall, meeting last week in Prescott, recommended a statewide program to ensure everyone in the state has access to basic health care.

Gov. Janet Napolitano promised Wednesday to craft solutions to the problem of Arizona companies depending on state taxpayers to provide health insurance to some of their workers.

September 2, 2004

When my neighbor, who operates a small business, had a stroke, the first thing that came to mind as paramedics wheeled him away was, "Does he have health insurance?"

Facing a threatened $7.8 billion loss in federal funds, state lawmakers Thursday agreed to restore the health care they had previously cut for about 350,000 Arizonans.

Gov. Janet Napolitano’s plan to expand health care coverage for Arizona children could become a casualty of ongoing budget talks.

More than 3,000 Arizonans have lost public health insurance in the past year because they couldn’t prove U.S. citizenship, though it’s unknown how many, if any, were in this country illegally.

More than a year after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health care experts who gathered in Glendale Friday said the law continues to evolve. “This is a very fluid piece of legislation,” said Ruthann Laswick of Black, Gould & Associates. “HHS (the Department of Health and Human Services) is constantly making clarifications. What you’re told one day could be completely different a few days later because their interpretation has changed.”