Maricopa County (Ariz.) Superior Court Judge Mark Brain has ruled Arizona can move forward with plans to cut the state's Medicaid rolls by freezing enrollment for childless adults, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek report.
CMS approved the plan, which would save the state an estimated $207 million this year, in July. The state plan's other provisions, which will go into effect in October, include freezing enrollment for individuals who earn more than 75 percent of the federal poverty level and a 25-day cap for hospital inpatient care.
While most states do not provide Medicaid to childless adults, Arizona passed a Proposition 204 in 2000 to expand the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to include certain childless adults. After the cuts were announced, a public interest law firm filed suit against the state for failing to fund a voter-approved law. However, Judge Brain ruled the state "does not have an enforceable duty to fund Proposition 204," according to the report.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek report on Arizona Medicaid.
Public Interest Law Firms Ready Suit Over Arizona Medicaid Cuts
CMS approved the plan, which would save the state an estimated $207 million this year, in July. The state plan's other provisions, which will go into effect in October, include freezing enrollment for individuals who earn more than 75 percent of the federal poverty level and a 25-day cap for hospital inpatient care.
While most states do not provide Medicaid to childless adults, Arizona passed a Proposition 204 in 2000 to expand the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to include certain childless adults. After the cuts were announced, a public interest law firm filed suit against the state for failing to fund a voter-approved law. However, Judge Brain ruled the state "does not have an enforceable duty to fund Proposition 204," according to the report.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek report on Arizona Medicaid.
Related Articles on Arizona Medicaid:
CMS Approves Arizona Measure to Stop Accepting Childless Adults in State Medicaid Program, Other ProvisionsPublic Interest Law Firms Ready Suit Over Arizona Medicaid Cuts