AHCCCS to hold public meetings on possible changes to Arizona Medicaid

On very short notice, and scheduled at times of the day when most people won't be able to even think about participating, Governor Jan Brewer and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) will be holding meetings to put out some information and to solicit public input on possible changes to Arizona's Medicaid program (aka - AHCCCS). 

The first meeting was yesterday (Wednesday, September 5) in Flagstaff (hence the quip about "short notice).

The rest -

Monday, September 10, 2012 2p.m. - 4p.m.	The Disability Empowerment Center 5025 E. Washington St., 200 Phoenix
Friday, September 14, 2012 11a.m.- 1p.m.	Yuma County Public Library 2951 S. 21Dr. Yuma
Tuesday September 18, 2012 1p.m. - 3p.m.	United Way Community Resource Campus 330 N. Commerce Park Loop Tucson

In July, the US Supreme upheld the Affordable Care Act, but allowed states to opt out of provisions that would expand Medicaid.

That means that Arizona will not expand AHCCCS in any way, because while the feds will pick up most of the costs, the AZ legislature must first approve it, and those are the same folks who danced on the graves of poor people who needed organ transplants while giving yet another tax cut to corporations.  Hell, these are the people that refused to change state law to allow many Arizonans who had exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits to collect them for a few more weeks, and that would not have cost Arizona a single dime.

Don't hold your breath waiting for them to do the right thing.