Last fall, Arizona’s version of Medicaid, known as AHCCCS, was found to have improperly issued contracts with health care companies for services to 26,000 older adults and people with disabilities. A new bill proposes to fix these issues.
In a statement, Republican Sen. T.J. Shope, who introduced the bill, accused Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration of engaging in “questionable and unethical practices where favoritism is given.” He says his bill would prevent that from happening again.
The measure would prevent AHCCCS from creating its own procurement code. It also requires companies that respond to a request for proposal to disclose anything of value that officers, directors or family members provided to the governor, and it says that state agencies and employees may not destroy notes taken during an evaluation of a company that responds to an RFP.
A judge found that AHCCCS directed its evaluators to shred their notes.
The governor's office issued the following statement:
"Senator Shope is a career politician who has been treated to trips funded by dark money extremist group ALEC at a cost of up to $125,000, and over $10,000 in meals and lodging from lobbyists. The senator should answer for the influence lobbyists and dark money groups have over him before lobbying ridiculous and baseless accusations."
