Will Arizona’s Medicaid beneficiaries use smartphone apps?
- August 2015
By Jonah Comstock | Aug 5, 2015
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey carved out a place for mobile health in his plan for the state’s new Medicaid plan this week, but some critics think the initiative could miss the mark for a low-income population less likely to have smartphones.
Arizona’s Medicaid system, the Arizona Healthcare Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), is a managed care system that operates on a special waiver from the federal government. That waiver is set to expire next September, and Ducey is using that expiration as an opportunity to make changes to the system that he hopes will cut costs by empowering Medicaid users and helping them get back to work. The changes, a plan called “Choice, Accountability, Responsibility and Engagement” (CARE), include health savings accounts, strategic co-pays, and wellness incentives for Medicaid enrollees.
