Senator Carine Werner Presses for Answers from AHCCCS After Explosive Oversight Hearing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, October 3, 2025

Senator Carine Werner Presses for Answers from AHCCCS

After Explosive Oversight Hearing

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senator Carine Werner, Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, is intensifying efforts to hold state agencies accountable after the committee's October 1 hearing revealed sweeping failures in Arizona's Medicaid system. The hearing exposed billions of dollars in fraud, more than 140,000 disenrolled AHCCCS members, and devastating impacts on Native American communities and vulnerable families.

"This is about far more than numbers on a page—it’s about lives shattered and trust broken," said Senator Werner. "Families lost coverage, providers were driven out by retaliation and red tape, and patient brokers were allowed to exploit Arizonans in need. We cannot allow the Governor's state agencies to hide behind vague answers. We expect transparency, data, and accountability."

At the hearing, testimony highlighted:

·       Nearly $2.8 billion in estimated fraud and over 140,000 AHCCCS members disenrolled since September 2024.

·       Fraudulent brokers shifting members from Medicaid into federally subsidized ACA marketplace plans.

·       Delayed or denied provider payments, creating barriers to care and driving credible providers out of the system.

·       Limited enforcement action, with only 91 patient brokering arrests despite widespread abuse.

The committee has now issued a comprehensive set of follow-up questions to AHCCCS, seeking detailed answers on provider capacity, claims activity, grievance investigations, and internal oversight. Among the key demands:

·       How many licensed behavioral health providers are actively seeing patients today?

·       What steps are being taken to restore access to care for Native American communities?

·       What internal accountability has been imposed on AHCCCS staff for oversight failures?

·       How much taxpayer money has been lost, and how much has been recovered?

Senator Werner emphasized that these questions are not optional. "Governor Hobbs and AHCCCS owe Arizona's taxpayers and families straight answers. We will not accept generalities or delays. The days of vague promises are over. This committee expects deliverables that prove action is being taken."

The Health and Human Services Committee has given AHCCCS 30 days to provide a complete set of responses and data. A follow-up special meeting will be held within 45 days to publicly review the agency's compliance and progress.

"Arizona deserves a health care system that protects the vulnerable instead of enabling fraud," said Senator Werner. "We will keep pressing until every loophole is closed, every fraudulent actor is held accountable, every Arizonan in need can access care without fear of exploitation, and every ethical provider who is in good standing be paid for the services they have provided."

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will reconvene in November to evaluate AHCCCS's compliance with committee requests.     

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov