Arizona Halts Enrollment in Pilot Health Insurance Program

Arizona's Premium Sharing Program, a pilot health insurance program that covers the cost of physician visits and medicines for low-income and chronically ill residents, has stopped accepting new applicants because of budget cuts, the AP/Arizona Republic reports. The program is open to residents with incomes of up to 250% of the federal poverty level, or $2,419 per month for a couple, and to state residents with chronic illnesses and incomes up to 400% of the poverty level, or $3,870 per month for a couple. Originally, the program had been operating on a $20 million annual budget, but beginning this July, the start of the next fiscal year, the program will have a budget of $10.5 million per year. As a result, the program has frozen its enrollment and is attempting to transfer many of its current 6,000 participants into other health programs. Further, about 1,200 people are on the program's waiting list; about 60 individuals apply for the program each day (AP/Arizona Republic, 6/20).