AHCCCS Seeks Public Input on Proposed Medicaid Work Requirements & 5-Year Lifetime Limit on Benefits
Back in 2015, the Arizona Legislature passed & Governor Ducey signed SB1092, mandating that AHCCCS ask for federal approval to limit lifetime eligibility to 5 years for all ‘able-bodied’ adults (regardless of income). The law also requires them to ask permission to implement work requirements for all “able-bodied adults” receiving Medicaid. AHCCCS is supposed send their request to CMS each April. AHCCCS first submitted the plan and got the green light back in 2019 –
What is DEI & Why is it Important in Public Health Practice?
You’ve no doubt heard that the White House recently issued an Executive Order directing federal agencies to stop any and all “Diversity Equity and Inclusion’ policies, personnel positions and activities. You can read that Executive Order here: Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing – The White House Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the EO doesn’t define exactly what DEI is. There’s no definition in the Executive Order. It refers
AZPHA’s 2025 Conference – Modernizing Public Health Practice: Building an Innovative & Inclusive Infrastructure for the Public Health of the Future
Thursday, April 3, 2025 Desert Willow Conference Center – Phoenix AZ This exciting event will take place on April 3, 2025. We’ll have innovative thinkers, practitioners, and researchers to share insights and strategies that drive transformative change in public health in the areas of: Using AI to enhance public health practice and patient population outcomes Data infrastructure and informatics Public health workforce Engaging public health professionals One of the conference’s key tracks
Navigating Arizona’s Post-Prop 139 Abortion Landscape
In November 2024, Arizona voters decisively approved Proposition 139, enshrining a constitutional right to abortion care prior to fetal viability—typically around 24 weeks. This landmark decision reflects a significant shift in public sentiment toward reproductive rights in Arizona. However, the journey to fully align state laws with this new constitutional amendment is proving complex. Despite the passage of Prop 139, several pre-existing abortion restrictions are still active in Arizona. These
Public Health Journalism this Week
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr shares views on vaccines – Arizona PBS Fentanyl is easy to find. Addiction medications? Not so much | Opinion State finds safety violations at Mesa birth center after baby dies | 12news.com Arizona cares more about bathrooms than teen gun deaths | Opinion House GOP budget cuts $4.5B in taxes, likely paid for by slashing Medicaid & social programs • Arizona Mirror RFK Jr.
Arizona’s Medicaid on the Brink: 550,000 May Lose AHCCCS Health Insurance Amid Federal Cuts
Leadership in Congress has tasked their committees with coming up with details to slash trillions of dollars in federal funding for various programs – including Medicaid. While leadership didn’t define exactly which programs to cut – they gave the various committees the task of ‘finding the money’ to cut among the executive branch agencies that they oversee. Among the likely early proposals will be one to cut way back on