2023 Policy Priorities
Grow and Support Arizona’s Economy and Healthcare Workforce Needs
As one of the fastest growing states in the country, quality healthcare is an essential component of Arizona’s infrastructure similar to water, energy, and transportation. The state must adequately plan for continued population growth, as well as an aging population that utilizes more healthcare services, to ensure continued economic development activity and vibrant communities. As some of the largest healthcare providers and employers in the state, health systems are constrained in their ability to provide quality care for patients and responsibly expand to meet Arizona’s increasing health care needs due to severe workforce shortages. The Alliance is committed to work with policymakers and stakeholders to grow Arizona’s healthcare workforce and economy by attracting, training, and retaining quality talent. The Alliance also prioritizes efforts to protect our healthcare workers and prevent workplace violence.
Ensure Financial Sustainability and Quality of the Hospital and Healthcare Delivery System
Hospitals and health systems across the state have extraordinarily risen to meet the needs of the state during COVID-19 and are faced with rebuilding their business operations to ensure continued quality health care delivery. Hospitals and health systems are under tremendous financial strain as unprecedented increases in costs related to staffing, supplies, medications, and equipment persist. The Alliance prioritizes all efforts to establish cost-saving measures; to identify innovative funding solutions to compensate for associated expenses and impacts; and to protect and maximize federal and state reimbursement streams to ensure that the hospital and health system industry remains sustainable.
Increasing Coverage and Improving Access to Care
The Alliance supports efforts to increase the number of Arizonans with comprehensive health insurance and to create greater access to care. Government programs provide healthcare coverage for nearly half of all Arizonans including our most vulnerable populations and seniors through Medicaid, Medicare, and other programs. It is essential that health care providers receive commensurate government funding for these programs to provide the necessary care to Arizona’s underserved areas and populations while preventing uncompensated care costs.
The Alliance supports increasing coverage, creating innovations and efficiencies, and reducing costs in partnership with healthcare payers. This includes reducing unnecessary administrative burden, streamlining processes, increasing transparency, developing and sharing quality data, and improving contracting and payment policies and agreements. The Alliance also supports the use of secure advancing technologies including telehealth and a comprehensive health information exchange as important and accessible tools for healthcare providers to best serve their patients while creating cost-saving efficiencies within the delivery system.
Reduce Regulatory Burdens
It is critical to have a balanced regulatory environment that supports innovative delivery approaches, maximizes cost efficiency opportunities, and expands the provider network. The Alliance supports efforts to remove unnecessary, or oppose additional regulations and licensing requirements, that create administrative and cost burdens, add additional complexity and uncertainty, and/or are redundant or contradictory to federal laws and regulations with little or no impact to patient care or safety. The Alliance opposes employment provisions that place limitations on private employer rights to set operational and workforce policies.