Health System Alliance of Arizona

07/16/2025

HSAA President & CEO Brittney Kaufmann joined Horizon on Arizona PBS to discuss the far-reaching negative consequences H.R. 1 will have on the healthcare of every Arizonan. Learn more.👇

Arizona hospitals are sounding the alarm over the reconciliation budget and the cuts being made to Medicaid.

07/03/2025

The Health System Alliance of Arizona expresses profound concern and disappointment following the narrow, party-line passage of H.R. 1, "The One Big Beautiful Bill," by Congress. This legislative action includes numerous provisions that will severely destabilize Arizona’s healthcare delivery system.

This decision by Congress poses far-reaching negative consequences for the healthcare of every Arizonan. We anticipate a significant increase in the number of uninsured individuals in our state and other significant hinderances to serving our growing and aging population. Substantial damage to the economic well-being of Arizona's towns, cities, counties, and the entire state will occur.

The historic cuts to Medicaid funding within H.R. 1 will directly impact the capacity of our hospitals and health systems to deliver essential services to all Arizonans, not just those relying on Medicaid. These changes will inevitably force individuals seeking care into emergency departments instead of allowing them to access timely and appropriate care. This will lead to hospitals shouldering increased unpaid costs, which will ultimately drive up healthcare premiums for everyone.

If you've already faced difficulties finding a doctor, securing appointments with specialists, or experiencing long waits in emergency departments, these challenges are poised to worsen significantly as a direct result of Congressional action. Arizona’s healthcare providers and the State of Arizona cannot absorb the magnitude of these cuts without having to make immediate and difficult decisions.

Despite the immense challenges presented by the passage of H.R. 1, the Health System Alliance of Arizona remains steadfast in our mission to provide high-quality and accessible healthcare for all Arizonans. We will continue to advocate tirelessly for the healthcare needs of our communities.

07/02/2025

"We are going to do everything we can to make clear the impacts it will have on the state, and hopefully our members of Congress will do the right thing and stop this from going into law," Hobbs said. "Because it will devastate not just Arizona, it will devastate many states, and we don't have the capacity to mitigate these cuts." Governor Katie Hobbs

Gov. Katie Hobbs said repeatedly that Arizona does not have the money to fill in the gaps left by federal Medicaid cuts.

07/02/2025

STATEMENT: SENATE VOTE ENDANGERS HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR ARIZONA’S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS—CHILDREN, SENIORS, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

The "One Big Beautiful Bill," which narrowly passed the Senate this morning with a vote of 51-50, threatens to damage Arizona’s healthcare delivery system, greatly increase the number of uninsured in the State, and cause significant harm to the economy. As passed by the Senate, the legislation would severely hamper hospitals' ability to provide essential care across the state to every patient—not just those on Medicaid.

The Health System Alliance of Arizona, representing approximately 80% of hospital-related care in the state, opposes several provisions of the Senate bill. Our member organizations, including Abrazo Health, Banner Health, Carondelet Health, Dignity Health, HonorHealth, and Northern Arizona Healthcare, operate in over 40 Arizona cities and towns and employ over 88,000 individuals. We see firsthand the critical role AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program, plays as a lifeline for over 2 million Arizonans, including low-income families, seniors, children, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant mothers. AHCCCS is also a vital component in maintaining Arizona’s overall healthcare delivery system for all residents.

The bill passed by the Senate proposes unprecedented cuts to Medicaid funding. Should the House pass this bill, it will create immense damage to Arizona's healthcare infrastructure. The projected payment reductions to hospitals and doctors are staggering, escalating annually to a total of $7.8 billion through 2032, averaging $1.1 billion in cuts per year. Furthermore, the draft language mandates a 10% annual reduction to payment and quality incentive programs. These programs are crucial for covering the costs hospitals and health systems incur to ensure timely and quality care access for every community.

Hospitals and doctors are already underpaid by government programs for the critical healthcare services they provide. This bill will exacerbate this long-standing issue of underpayment to a breaking point, threatening the very foundation of our healthcare infrastructure. If you have experienced challenges finding a doctor, getting in to see a specialist, or endured long wait times in an emergency department, these problems will only worsen due to the actions Congress is taking.

Lawmakers are aware of the severe impact these cuts will have on hospital funding, evidenced by their attempts to offer one-time funding to rural hospitals. However, the rural funding will not begin to offset the extensive cuts, nor will it address the systemic damage this bill inflicts upon the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Arizona’s healthcare providers and the State of Arizona simply cannot absorb the magnitude of the cuts that the Senate has just approved. The responsibility now falls to the House of Representatives to reject this harmful legislation and protect their constituents and communities from harm. We urge the House to prioritize the health and well-being of all Arizonans and ensure our healthcare system remains robust and accessible.

07/02/2025

The reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. Senate today will have devastating impacts on our healthcare system and those that rely on it including Arizona children. Learn more. 👇

Medicaid cuts would hurt vulnerable children, cost jobs and trigger an economic crisis in Arizona.

06/30/2025

The U.S. Senate is considering a federal budget that will devastate Arizona's healthcare system. Tell your representative to VOTE NO at: https://www.votervoice.net/AZ4BHC/Campaigns/124549/Respond

06/29/2025

06/29/2025

Medicaid gives Brooke critical access to care to live well with her disability.

Medicaid gives Brooke a voice. Use yours and thank Congressman Juan Ciscomani for standing up for those on Medicaid & for fighting against the U.S. Senate’s attempts to cut care for vulnerable Arizonans by cutting healthcare providers who provide critical services to Brooke and others like her.

And call your Representative to let them your voice & your vote count & you want them to protect Medicaid.

https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/AZ4BHC/Campaigns/124549/Respond?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLOGGFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnxlIOAd_lU9U2SG74qLCVjW7gmyyuw41tD0D8o3LGzsx4Y--zxR-_y2SxbW_aem_VHKQ1_kOQHQR2ahkjVVRhg

06/29/2025

MEDICAID CUTS BY SENATE THREATEN CARE FOR ALL ARIZONANS & SHOULD BE REJECTED!

The most recently released reconciliation bill language and Senate Finance Committee provisions continue to make the threats to Medicaid and cuts to hospitals even worse, threatening the ability of Arizona hospital and health systems to serve all patients within their communities.

AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program, serves as critical lifeline for over 2 million Arizonans including our most vulnerable—low-income families, seniors, children, individuals with disabilities, pregnant mothers, and others. It is also a critical component of keeping Arizona’s healthcare delivery system available for all Arizonans.

These efforts in the Senate to deepen the cuts to Medicaid through severe reductions to provider taxes and state-directed payment programs (SDPs) would decimate Arizona’s healthcare infrastructure. The cuts to the provider tax funding mechanisms would escalate every year totaling $7.8 billion through 2032 ($1.1 billion cut per year on average) in reduced funding to Arizona’s hospitals.

Additionally, the draft language would require 10% annual payment reductions to payment and quality incentive programs that are necessary to cover the cost that hospitals and health systems incur to ensure that every community has access to timely and quality care. Even after accounting of these payment programs, Arizona’s, hospitals are paid less than 90% of their costs for treating and supporting access to care for Medicaid patients. These cuts will fall disproportionately on hospitals and doctors and will take hundreds of millions of dollars out of an already struggling system in which doctor and nurse shortages are prevalent and nearly one third of hospital providers already operate at a loss each year.

The inclusion of rural hospital funding in the Senate provisions show lawmakers recognize the harm they will be doing to hospitals –yet the attempt to lessen the impact to rural hospitals falls woefully short of the actual cuts they’ll incur and neglects the realities of the interdependence of the entire hospital and healthcare ecosystem.

These federal funding cuts will have consequential impacts to Arizona’s state budget—forcing the state to figure out how to shoulder billions in losses by cutting healthcare coverage, cutting healthcare providers, or cutting other critical state funding priorities.

Arizona’s healthcare providers and the State of Arizona cannot absorb the cuts mandated by the Senate Finance Committee language. We urge the Senate to recognize the impacts their cuts will have on Arizona’s healthcare system and revert to the House approach to Medicaid financing in H.R. 1.

We support the treatment of Medicaid financing mechanisms in the house framework with additional clarifications to the grandfathering language that intends to hold states harmless and provide necessary flexibility to comply with any potential federal changes. We urge the Senate to reject these dangerous provisions and for the House to maintain its position on preserving Medicaid funding for Arizonans.

06/28/2025

Congress is considering cutting Medicaid funding, threatening healthcare coverage and access to 24/7 care for Arizonans. Tell your members of Congress to protect AHCCCS coverage for Arizona families!

06/24/2025

Thank you Congressman Juan Ciscomani for your continued support of Arizona patients, doctors, nurses, healthcare providers, and hospitals across the state.

The U.S. Senate budget proposal would be devastating to Arizona's healthcare system, impacting access to care and health coverage which Arizonans rely on every day.