Medicaid Cut Concerns as Senate Passes Budget Bill

Dr. Derksen added his perspective to a story on Medicaid cuts included in the Senate approved Big Beautiful Bill. The story aired on Good Morning Arizona, July 2, 2025, at 7 am. 

Hundreds of thousands of Arizonans could lose their health insurance coverage because of cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill. Senators narrowly passed their version of the bill yesterday.

1.8 million Arizonans are covered by Medicaid (AHCCCS). There are estimates that 450,000 to 500,000 Arizonans could lose that health insurance coverage.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the Senate version of the Big Beautiful Bill cuts almost one trillion dollars from Medicaid.

Daniel Derksen, MD, Director of the University of Arizona Center for Rural Health and a member of the Arizona Medical Association said, “Throwing people off coverage doesn’t do anything as far as saving costs, it just shifts where those costs occur. We would dramatically increase the number of Arizonans without health insurance.”