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Worker shortages and manufacturing shutdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with disruptions related to the war in Ukraine, have caused global supply chain shortages – resulting in shortfalls of baby formula, popcorn and, now, tampons.

The latest supply chain problem – a shortage of feminine care items – has prompted Arizona advocates to renew calls for “period equity” to ensure that menstrual products are accessible and affordable for all. Read more»

Health care advocates say that expanded outreach and longer enrollment periods are helping get the word out to people that they may be able to get free or low-cost insurance under the Affordable Care Act. An Oklahoma Army National Guard sergeant meets with a patient in California in this 2009 file photo.

More than 40,000 Arizonans signed up for Affordable Care Act health insurance in the six-month special enrollment period earlier this year, and advocates expect the numbers to keep rising in the enrollment period that opens next month. Read more»

After several years of declines, the number of Arizonans who enrolled for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act leveled off this year, at 154,265. While that’s up slightly from last year, it is still well below enrollment under the Obama administration, which topped 200,000 people for several years.

After years of steady declines, enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage ticked up in Arizona and held steady in the U.S. this year in what one advocate called a “pleasant surprise” after a challenging year. Read more»

After dropping sharply from a decade ago, the number of people without health insurance continued to inch back up last year, when more than 800, 000 Arizonans were without coverage, according to Census Bureau data.

The number of Arizonans without health insurance jumped to more than 800,000 last year, the third consecutive year of increases for the state, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau. Read more»

The number of Medicaid recipients in Arizona rose to more than 2 million this summer, after a five-month surge that mirrored the impact of COVID-19. Experts said the increase was not as large as they had feared, but also said there’s no way to predict what happens next.

The number of people on Arizona’s Medicaid rolls topped 2 million this summer, after a five-month surge in enrollment that coincided with COVID-19’s hit to the state’s health and its economy. Read more»

The White House’s fiscal 2021 budget plan includes $94.5 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, a 10% decrease from this year, part of an overall 5% cut in nondefense spending. The plan also calls for work requirements for some people currently receiving benefits like Medicaid.

Arizona health care advocates are confident that President Donald Trump’s plan to slash billions from health services is “dead on arrival” in Congress – but that doesn’t mean they’re not angry at the administration’s direction. Read more»

Enrollment for Affordable Care Act coverage – Obamacare – for 2019 runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, with potential customers in Arizona seeing more choices and lower prices, on average, than they did during open enrollment last year.

Health insurance experts say the market is settling down after a bumpy start for Obamacare but rural prices still may rise. A shortened open enrollment runs through Dec. 15 this year. Read more»

With one week left in open enrollment season for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, advocates are urging consumers to shop around, saying they are likely to find better deals than last year and will avoid a tax penalty by being insured.

With one week left to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, advocates are urging Arizona consumers to “window shop” for insurance plans that may be cheaper than they expected or, in some cases, essentially free. Read more»

Arizona is one of the few states expected to see a decrease in average premium costs during the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period that opened last week – if consumers can figure out how to sign up. The window to enroll has been cut in half from previous years, to 45 days, hours have been shortened, outreach and advertising budgets have been cut — in what critics are calling a Trump administration campaign to “sabotage” Obamacare after Congress was unable to kill it. Read more»