Arizona Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp (R-LD29), alongside House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-LD25), announced findings from a review of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) conducted by Shamp, her staff, and the Patients First Coalition.
At a Tuesday press conference, Shamp expressed alarm, stating, “These findings raise serious concerns about how effectively we’re managing our public resources.” She is submitting an oversight request to Governor Katie Hobbs and demanding a comprehensive audit of Medicaid eligibility in Arizona.
The Patients First Coalition, a national organization focused on improving public health, hinted at significant issues in a post on X.com, claiming to be “exposing scandal that’ll rock Gov. Hobbs’ admin. ~20,000 #MedicaidMillionaires allegedly abusing the system” and calling it a “Bad day for Hobbs!” The group has previously conducted similar reviews in Ohio and South Carolina.
🚨 BREAKING: Major news dropping in AZ TOMORROW at 11:30AM! Joint press conference with @AZSenatorShamp & @MichaelCarbone exposing scandal that’ll rock Gov. Hobbs’ admin. ~20,000 #MedicaidMillionaires allegedly abusing the system. Bad day for Hobbs! 😱 #AZPolitics #BreakingNews
— Patient First Coalition – Fighting for Trump MAHA (@PatientFirst47) June 17, 2025
Shamp reported that the review found 77% of Arizona’s Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medicaid enrollees did not undergo proper eligibility checks, with only 23% receiving the required asset verification.
Why did Arizona check only 23% of Medicaid enrollees for assets?
Over a third of Medicaid enrollees were too rich to qualify.
Arizona, how did this happen?#MedicaidMillionaires pic.twitter.com/ExUfIIKYR5
— AZSenatorShamp (@AZSenatorShamp) June 17, 2025
“I’m someone who is naturally skeptical of the efficiency of government programs, but even I was shocked at what they found,” Shamp said.
“It gets worse. Even in that limited sample, more than a third were flagged as potentially ineligible—many with substantial liquid assets, including more than 5,000 enrollees with over $50,000 in their bank. Sometimes called Medicaid Millionaires, these individuals are statistically very likely to have total assets in excess of $1 million – in other words, they should not be receiving Medicaid benefits!”
Shamp continued, “These findings aren’t just concerning—they’re a wake-up call. If broader verification had been in place, the estimate is that over 130,000 individuals may not have met the eligibility criteria for Medicaid assistance. That includes as many as 20,000 Medicaid Millionaires with ample financial means to pay for their own care—potentially costing the state up to $6 billion a year in unnecessary spending.”
Amid a contentious budget dispute, Shamp highlighted Hobbs’ request for a 7.5% spending increase for AHCCCS, calling it “a system that is unaccountable, mismanaged, and
misspending potentially billions of dollars each year.” She concluded, “This effort isn’t about partisanship. It’s about stewardship. We are entrusted with public funds, and we have a duty to make sure every dollar is going where it’s supposed to go. With more efficient oversight and stronger eligibility verification, we can save billions of dollars—money that can be reinvested into quality healthcare and better support for Arizonans in need.”
Shamp criticized the absence of a permanent AHCCCS director, noting it “makes accountability and leadership even more difficult to obtain.” She urged the Hobbs administration to address this, stating, “We owe it to taxpayers—and to the people who rely on these services—to ensure the agency is led effectively and transparently.”
“Let me be clear,” she emphasized, “this isn’t about politics—it’s about protecting the integrity of a system that’s meant to serve those truly in need. When resources are diverted to individuals who don’t qualify, the people who suffer most are those the system was designed to help. We’re talking about seniors, the deaf, the blind, and the disabled.”