PHOENIX — Arizona hospital leaders are warning that major Medicaid changes starting in 2027 will leave more people uninsured and squeeze hospitals’ budgets, Arizona’s Family reported.
AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program, covered roughly 1.7 million people as of September. About a quarter of them will be directly affected, the station reported.
The changes come mostly from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Congress passed in 2025. The Trump administration says the law is meant to root out waste, fraud and abuse.
“It’s really a one-two punch for Arizona patients and Arizona hospitals,” said Ann-Marie Alameddin, president and CEO of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.
The first change is new work requirements for many Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 64, with eligibility checks every six months. Affected enrollees will have to show at least 80 hours a month of qualifying activity, such as a job, certain work programs, community service, or being enrolled in school at least half time. Some groups are exempt under federal rules.
The second is less federal funding for hospitals.
“The net impact of that is that more people are going to be uninsured in Arizona, and that really impacts everybody,” Alameddin said.
Sources: Arizona’s Family. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Cbaile19 / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
