Arizona Senators Vote to Eliminate Medicaid Program

The Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee voted Wednesday to do away with the state’s Medicaid program and replace it with a smaller system covering a fraction of the existing beneficiaries, the Associated Press reported.

The current program, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, serves approximately 1.3 million people. The replacement program in proposed legislation would serve up to 100,000 people, which includes people needing long-term care.

“The bill goes to the state full Senate after a legal review and discussions by party caucuses, but its prospects for passage were unclear,” the Associated Press reported.

Sen. Andy Biggs (R), who sponsored the bill, said the current system is “financially unsustainable” because of how many people it serves, according to the report.

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