Tribal leaders passed a resolution supporting Governor Jan Brewer's Medicaid Expansion Effort at the May 17, 2013 meeting of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association (AIGA). A quorum of the leadership voted unanimously to pass the resolution.
"We thank Governor Brewer and members of the Arizona legislature who braved the opposition and stood up for expanding Medicaid in our state," said Terry Rambler, Vice Chairman of AIGA and Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. "Those of us who live in rural areas know that we cannot afford to lose funding to our hospitals. These cuts would be devastating."
Vice Chairman Rambler urged Tribal members to reach out to Senator John McComish , the Senate Majority Leader who offered the Medicaid expansion amendment, and the 19 Senators who voted in support of that amendment. The six Republican legislators in particular, fought off tremendous opposition to support Governor Brewer on this vital issue. They include Senate Majority Leader John McCormish, Senators Rich Crandall , R-Mesa; Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix, Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, and Sen. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale. He also asked Tribal members to call and email their representatives in the Arizona House of Representatives when this issue comes to the House for a vote.
The Governor's Medicaid Restoration Plan upholds the will of the Arizonans who voted twice to expand Medicaid, keeping 63,000 Arizonans from losing their health care coverage on January 1, 2014. It also pumps nearly $8 billion into the Arizona economy over the first four years, protecting rural and safety-net hospitals, and keeping Arizona tax dollars in Arizona. The Brewer Medicaid Plan also comes at no cost to the General Fund.