The pandemic pushed more Arizonans onto Medicaid. What could happen to them when the emergency ends

Published: Monday, May 23, 2022 - 11:53am
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AHCCCS
Jami Snyder

The country’s health care system has been pushed, pulled and stretched over the last couple of years as the pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of it.

That includes Arizona’s Medicaid program, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS. The agency’s director, Jami Snyder, says when the federal public health emergency first hit in March 2020, AHCCCS made two commitments: making sure members could continue to readily access care and making sure providers remained viable over the course of the pandemic.

The Show spoke with Snyder and asked about some of the changes to Medicaid that were brought on by the federal emergency — and what changed for enrollees and providers.

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