The deal, announced by Gov. Jan Brewer and executives at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Maricopa Integrated Health System, also in Phoenix, and Tucson-based University of Arizona Health Network, comes just days after the state announced it received federal approval to cut Medicaid payments to hospitals and other providers by 5 percent.
Under the proposal, the three hospitals would pool $113 million over the next two years in order for the state to receive $229 million in additional federal funds, which would be used to expand enrollment in KidsCare and reimburse costs for uncompensated care. The state froze enrollment in the plan in Jan. 2010, according to the report.
The state expects to hear from the federal government regarding the program’s approval by early February.
Related Articles on Arizona Healthcare Coverage:
CMS Approves Arizona’s Plan to Cut Medicaid Payments by 5%
Feds Reauthorize Arizona’s Medicaid Program for Five Years, Wait on Rate Cuts
CMS Rejects Some of Arizona’s Proposed Medicaid Cuts
