Medicaid expansion needed

PHOENIX (AP) — Gov. Jan Brewer apparently won't say until January whether Arizona should expand the state's Medicaid program under the federal health care overhaul — a decision that could present legislators with a white-hot political issue.

Tom Patterson

More than 1 million Arizonans must prove they are U.S. citizens or risk losing their health insurance under a new Medicaid requirement that takes effect July 1.

More than 1 million Arizonans must prove they are U.S. citizens or risk losing their health insurance under a new Medicaid requirement that takes effect July 1.

Banner Health is trying to salvage a terminated contract that has left thousands of Medicaid patients without four major East Valley hospitals on their health plan.

In an historic move, a group of Republican senators united with Democrats Thursday to approve the plan by Gov. Jan Brewer to sharply expand the state's Medicaid program.

The fight to expand Medicaid in Arizona continues as Gov. Brewer pushes the Legislature to pursue legislation to expand coverage to include folks up to 133 percent of poverty guidelines.

Still far short of the votes she needs, Gov. Jan Brewer finally gave lawmakers a peek Tuesday at details of her plan to expand the state's Medicaid program in a bid to whip up support.

The East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance (EVCCA) strongly supports Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to restore our Medicaid population.

The pressure from the Obama administration for Arizona to expand our Medicaid program is enormous. Gov. Brewer is on board and even some legislative conservatives seem to be wavering. But legislators should take one more look before they make what could be a fateful leap.

A federal judge has again rebuffed efforts by the state to justify co-pays for medical care on some adults in Arizona's Medicaid program.

Saying they are being crushed by the cost of patients unable to pay, hospital executives rallied Wednesday to back a plan by Gov. Jan Brewer to expand the state's Medicaid program.

Increasing Medicaid expansion to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) provides the unique opportunity for Gov. Brewer and the Republican-led legislature to take positive steps in improving Arizona’s economy. This can be done while taking the moral high ground by reinstating the voter-approved AHCCCS benefits for childless adults. The benefit that our Arizona economy receives from this expansion is very important for our recovery. By investing $1 billion in expanding Medicaid, the return on investment for Arizona is $8 billion. Uncompensated medical and hospital care create a hidden tax on everyone else through an increase to their insurance premiums. It should be noted that there are uninsured adults that have untreated mental illnesses. This is a tragic situation which, as history shows, potentially results in a public-safety catastrophe. Arizona legislators have the opportunity to lead as conservatives by containing costs, cutting the hidden tax that is placed on insurance premiums to cover the uninsured and making an investment that brings $8 billion into Arizona’s economy.

It's almost a case of starting over for Gov. Jan Brewer as she weighs whether to ask legislators to provide government-paid health coverage to hundreds of thousands of additional low-income Arizonans.

Federal health officials on Friday gave the state the go-ahead to start rejecting applications from some needy for free health care.

An attorney for a public interest law firm wants the Arizona Supreme Court to block Gov. Jan Brewer from eliminating health care for more than 100,000 Arizonans.