There is a proposal by Governor Jan Brewer to cut 300,000 people from the Arizona health insurance plan for the poor. Already, AHCCCS fees to doctors have been frozen. Health providers face a total cut of $67.7 million in state and federal money.
The Hospital and Healthcare Association protested the plan to transfer AHCCCS’ remaining graduate medical education money and nearly all private disproportionate hospital dollars to other uses. Already the state has only 219 doctors for every 100,000 people, while the national average is 293 physicians for every 100,000. It is economically shortsighted to cut into hospital budgets as hospitals create jobs.
Dosctors say we will have to raise our rates to Arizona health insurance companies and those people who can pay will ultimately pay for the state’s lack of coverage. Whoever pays their hospital bills is paying for those who are not paying their hospital bills. Otherwise the hospital goes out of business.