Susan Russo

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), is the State's Medicaid program and largest source of health insurance, providing coverage to over 1.9 million Arizonans. Although administered by the State, AHCCCS is governed by federal and state requirements, and jointly funded by federal, state, and county dollars.  Our mission is to reach across Arizona to provide comprehensive, quality health care for those in need. AHCCCS contracts with multiple acute and long term care health plans, paying them prospectively to provide primary, acute, and long term care services to recipients. The result is a managed care system that mainstreams recipients and allows them to select their providers. It is a system that reduces costly emergency services by emphasizing prevention, early intervention, and management of chronic illness. Ultimately, it supports State and local economies, strengthens the health care industry, and reduces uncompensated care. AHCCCS is designed to deliver quality health care under cutting-edge concepts of managed care. Independent evaluations have repeatedly praised the program's effectiveness and AHCCCS has received national acclaim as a model for other Medicaid programs. AHCCCS is a two-time winner of the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility because of its flexible work place practices such as virtual office, teleworking, ample holiday and sick leave and excellent health insurance.