Public forum to be held Friday in Tucson about proposed AHCCCS changes

Arizona’s Medicaid program will hold a public hearing Friday morning in Tucson about putting a work requirement and a lifetime limit on enrollees who are physically and mentally capable of working.

The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 27, at Banner-University Medical Center South Campus, 2800 E. Ajo Way.

Arizona’s Medicaid program is called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and is a government health insurance program for low- income people. It currently enrolls more than a quarter of Arizona’s population, or 1.9 million people, including 288,912 residents of Pima County, the agency’s January enrollment numbers show.

The Arizona Legislature’s Senate Bill 1092 that passed in 2015 called for several changes to the AHCCCS program. Among them were requirements on “able-bodied” adults enrolled in the AHCCCS program, including a requirement that they become employed, actively seek employment, go to school or attend a job training program.

In addition, it called for putting a five-year lifetime enrollment limit on AHCCCS enrollees deemed “able-bodied,” which means they are at least 19 and physically and mentally capable of working.

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The legislation also allowed AHCCCS officials to ban enrollees for a year if they knowingly failed to report a change in family income or made false statements about their compliance with work requirements.

The legislation required the approval of the federal government, which rejected the proposals related to “able-bodied” adults on the grounds that those requests could undermine access to care. AHCCCS must reapply by March 30 each year for proposals in SB 1092 that have not been approved or are not in effect, the legislation says.

As part of the waiver submittal process, AHCCCS is required to conduct public hearings.

The public is also invited to review and comment on the waiver proposal in writing via email to public input@azahcccs.gov or by mail to: AHCCCS, c/o Office of Intergovernmental Relations, 801 E. Jefferson St., Mail Drop 4200, Phoenix, AZ 85034.

All comments received by Feb. 28, 2017, will be reviewed, considered and included in the final proposal sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.