Senator Rogers Advances Transparency Measure to Track Taxpayer-Funded Hospital Care, Protect Healthcare Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Arizona hospitals are absorbing millions of dollars in uncompensated care each year, prompting Senator Wendy Rogers to again sponsor legislation to give taxpayers and lawmakers a clear picture of the costs and impacts on the healthcare system.
SB 1051 requires hospitals that accept state payments to collect basic, non-identifying data on patient immigration status at the time of admission or registration. The goal is to track how much uncompensated care is being provided to patients who are not lawfully present in the United States so policymakers can make informed decisions about hospital funding, capacity, and the use of taxpayer dollars. The bill directs hospitals to include a section on admission or registration forms allowing patients to indicate whether they are U.S. citizens, lawfully present, or not lawfully present. The form must clearly state that a patient's response will not affect their care and will not be reported to immigration authorities. Patient names and personal identifying information are never collected.
Under SB 1051, hospitals will submit quarterly reports to the Arizona Department of Health Services. DHS will compile an annual report for the governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House detailing total hospital admissions and emergency department visits, the cost of uncompensated care for patients not lawfully present, and the broader impact on hospital operations and funding. DHS may adopt rules to standardize reporting while ensuring patient privacy is protected.
Senator Rogers advanced similar legislation last year, but Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill, rejecting a straightforward effort to collect basic data on the cost of uncompensated care in Arizona hospitals. Since that veto, healthcare costs have continued to rise, emergency rooms remain crowded, and hospitals are still under strain, while taxpayers are left without clear answers.
"Taxpayers deserve transparency, and hospitals deserve clarity," said Senator Rogers. "Governor Hobbs vetoed this bill last year, choosing to keep policymakers and the public in the dark about the true cost of uncompensated care. This legislation doesn't deny care, target patients, or compromise privacy. It simply gathers the data we need to understand where the strain on our healthcare system is coming from. Without accurate information, we can't fix the problem. SB 1051 brings common sense and accountability to a conversation the governor tried to shut down."
SB 1051 is scheduled for consideration on Wednesday in the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services as lawmakers examine rising healthcare costs and the growing demands placed on Arizona's hospital system.
###
For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus