ARIZONA CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: AHCCS Mis-steps have put members of an already susceptible population at further risk of relapse, abuse, homelessness and even death.

GOVERNMENT | HEALTH Patients, advocates describe ‘pure chaos’ in state response to AHCCCS fraud On May 16, as cameras flashed and tribal leaders looked on, Arizona’s governor and attorney general announced a statewide crackdown on behavioral health providers suspected of defrauding the state’s Medicaid program out of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Leaders revealed the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) had suspended payments to more than 100 providers to tamp down widespread fraud. Officials had developed extensive safeguards to help prevent new, unscrupulous operators from cropping up, they said, and had begun rolling out a comprehensive plan to assist and protect the vulnerable, largely Indigenous patients victimized by the scandal. “It will be a fight, but one that my administration and I are fully committed to,” Gov. Katie Hobbs told reporters. “We will take the actions necessary to bring an end not just to the fraudulent activity, but also to the humanitarian crisis that it has created.” More than five months later, patients, advocates and providers contend the state has fallen short on both fronts. In interviews with AZCIR’s Hannah Bassett and Maria Polletta, they described the chaotic rollout of a dedicated crisis response line, insufficient vetting of providers meant to fill gaps in housing and treatment, and a lack of oversight that has allowed people affiliated with suspended facilities to quickly reopen new businesses, among other problems. As suspended operators continue to shutter, AZCIR has found, the state’s missteps have put members of an already susceptible population at further risk of relapse, abuse, homelessness and even death. READ THE FULL STORY RELATED: State officials’ failure to adequately anticipate the impact of widespread suspensions among behavioral health providers has left grassroots organizers grappling with much of the human fallout. In this piece, AZCIR’s Hannah Bassett shares the story of how one such group—Stolen People, Stolen Benefits—helped two tribal members return to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation after they experienced the predatory behavior targeted by the state. Road to Recovery As Arizona officials crack down on fraudulent behavioral health providers, suspending payments to hundreds of them in a sweeping statewide response, those in need of treatment were caught in the middle, often left on their own to find a path forward. In their own search for sobriety, one couple eventually seeks a future in the place they left behind. READ MORE > ABOUT THIS PROJECT These articles are published as part of the Mental Health Parity Collaborative, a national partnership between AZCIR and The Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, The Center for Public Integrity and news outlets from across the nation. The collaboration brings together reporters and editors to independently produce data- and solutions-driven stories that examine access to mental health care in their respective states. You can read more about the collaborative project here.

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Brandon Quester | AZCIR <brandon.quester@azcir.org>