Arizona State Senator Carine Werner, who chairs the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, has called a third oversight hearing to examine the state's Medicaid program and its response to widespread fraud.
The hearing will focus on the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and how it has addressed fraudulent billing and the effects on healthcare access across the state.
This will be the third time the committee has gathered to investigate the crisis. In August, the first hearing revealed that nearly $2.8 billion was lost to various fraud schemes while more than 140,000 people were kicked off Medicaid.
A second hearing was held on October 1 to continue examining how the fraud drained taxpayer dollars and left Arizonans without healthcare.
The situation has particularly affected mental health providers and Native American communities, who have experienced significant disruptions in healthcare services.
The Hearing
Senator Werner has invited AHCCCS Director Ginny Roundtree and members of the agency's leadership team to testify at the hearing.
Officials from the Arizona Department of Health Services have also been asked to attend. The committee wants to question them about claims that healthcare providers have been punished for speaking out about problems with AHCCCS and Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).
The committee will check whether AHCCCS has turned over the documents and information they requested. This includes details about how the agency is punishing fraudsters, helping providers get back to work, and recovering lost money.
The hearing will also examine what AHCCCS is doing to address the problems.
Senator Werner said Arizonans need honest answers. "Arizonans deserve answers – not excuses," she said. She believes taxpayers, families, and healthcare providers should know precisely what AHCCCS is doing to solve the crisis and stop it from happening again.
Werner said the agency has not provided complete information, even after the committee asked multiple times. The November 12 hearing will allow AHCCCS leaders to answer the committee's questions and update the committee on their progress.
