Arizona communities have highest rates of adults covered by Medicaid. They're bracing for cuts

Arizona health professionals are continuing to raise concerns about cuts to state Medicaid funding approved in Republicans' recent tax and policy bill.

About 2 million Arizonans get health care through the state’s Medicaid program, known as AHCCCS. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates more than 350,000 Arizonans will lose AHCCCS coverage by 2034 as a result of the bill’s new work requirements for Medicaid recipients and changes to federal funding for states.

A study in January from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families showed rural Arizona communities have the nation’s highest rates of adults covered by Medicaid and among the highest rates of children covered by the program. Enrollment is especially high among Arizona’s Native American communities and the state’s large population of older adults.

In a call with reporters Tuesday, Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said the state’s rural hospitals will be hit especially hard by an increase in uninsured patients.

“I think before you see hospitals out-and-out closing, you’re going to see a real scaling back of services that rural hospitals provide,” Humble said, adding that prenatal care and labor and delivery services may be the first programs hospitals have to eliminate, meaning residents of rural areas will have to travel farther for that kind of care.

Humble said he expects more uncompensated care at hospitals will raise health care costs for everyone, whether or not they are enrolled in AHCCCS.

The cuts to Medicaid are set to roll out over several years, so Humble said it’s possible Congress could still reverse some of the planned changes.

But, he added, “make no mistake, this is going to be really damaging to Medicaid no matter how successful we are at rolling some of these things back.”