The Hertel Report

03/07/2025

🌞 Beat the Heat – Head to Flagstaff!
Join The Hertel Report for our State of the State event in beautiful Flagstaff!

📅 Friday, July 18, 2025
📍 Flagstaff Medical Center McGee Auditorium
🕤 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
🍽 Includes lunch (Stay or Grab & Go)
💻 Virtual options available

We’ll be covering the latest in Arizona healthcare news, policy, and market insights. Don’t miss this chance to network and stay informed.

👉 Register now or learn more at https://www.thehertelreport.com/product/2025-summer-state-of-the-state-in-flagstaff/

11/06/2025

A great resource from The Network for Public Health Law for those interested in how recent executive orders and new federal initiatives impact public health.
Executive Orders & Public Health Practice: FAQs

What is an executive order? Federal executive orders are written directives from the president of the United States to shape federal policy in specific ways. Executive orders are typically used to manage agencies and employees under the president’s control — for example, the US Department of Hea...

05/06/2025

Arizona healthcare leaders—don’t miss our July Summer Conference in Flagstaff!
Join The Hertel Report for timely Medicaid updates from AHCCCS, the latest Arizona enrollment data from CMS on Medicare Advantage and ACA Marketplace plans, and local market intelligence across both segments. We’ll also unpack value-based care trends with a spotlight on Arizona MSSP and REACH ACOs and explore the federal and state policy shifts reshaping the future of Arizona healthcare.
Discounts are available for members and community partners. Can’t attend in person? Join us virtually. Register now to secure your spot—space is limited!

Our summer conference in Flagstaff features our bi-annual Arizona healthcare market update, as well as the latest insights on how new U.S. leaders and health policies are affecting local markets. Topics include the latest news on Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, the Marketplace, hospitals and healthcar...

13/05/2025

Parents as Paid Caregiver Program Open for Public Comment

AHCCCS and DES/DDD are proposing revisions to their policies impacting the ‘Parents as Paid Caregiver’ (PPCG) service model. These revisions include commitments made to CMS in the 1115 Waiver proposal. They also include terms and conditions of the state’s authority approval and recent legislation (HB 2945).

AHCCCS and DES/DDD are proposing revisions to their policies impacting the ‘Parents as Paid Caregiver’ (PPCG) service model. These revisions include commitments made to CMS in the 1115 Waiver proposal. They also include terms and conditions of the state’s authority approval and recent legislat...

10/05/2025

If it's a finalist for a Pulitzer, it's worth reading. Wall Street Journal - Medicare Inc. An investigation into insurers' secret practices to pocket billions from Medicare. The investigation uncovered questionable practices by Medicare Advantage insurers that cost taxpayers billions of dollars and jeopardized vulnerable patients. WSJ showed how some of America’s biggest companies profited from that system, including UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health.

An investigation into the secret practices insurers use to pocket billions from Medicare.

28/04/2025

Vaccination is a safe, highly effective, and easy way to help keep your family healthy. Get vaccinated! Protect yourself, protect your family, and protect Arizona!

Vaccines Save Lives

28/04/2025

Insurer price-fixing is real and physicians deserve their day in court, says the American Medical Association (AMA). According to AMA lawyers, roughly 700 of the country’s 1,100 insurers use MultiPlan to set their out-of-network payment rates, including America's 15 largest health plans. MultiPlan’s revenues were $709 million in 2021, up from $564 million in 2020 and $23 million in 2012.
It’s a practice that amounts to “naked price-fixing,” violating the Sherman Act, a federal antitrust law, the AMA Litigation Center and ISMS lawsuit says, and it must stop. MultiPlan Inc. is asking a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit.

AMA, Illinois State Medical Society urge federal court not to dismiss lawsuit against “unlawful cartel” that has led some physicians to “the brink of insolvency.”

28/04/2025

HonorHealth has expanded to Peoria. Construction on the new West valley medical campus began in November 2023. The nonprofit health system's new location, expected to open in early May, will offer a variety of services, including cancer care, primary care, physical therapy, gastroenterology, breast surgery, outpatient surgery and medical imaging.

West Valley residents can soon start receiving a wide range of health care services at the new HonorHealth Medical Campus at Peoria.

28/04/2025

No one is immune from opioid addiction. In Arizona, about 1.5M people are on Medicare - the OIG found that less than 1 in 5 Medicare enrollees received medication to treat their opioid use disorder. Opioid overdoses among Medicare enrollees increased slightly in 2023 to 53,000. More than 750,000 Medicare enrollees received opioid overdose-reversal drugs through Part D in 2023, a record high. Virtually all received naloxone.
REMINDER: Medicare enrollees are losing Part D coverage of naloxone, which could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs.
Read the report from the Office of Inspector General.

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18/02/2025

Celebrating Black History Month including the profound contributions of Black leaders in healthcare and public health.
Meet Dr. Jocelyn Elders – The first Black U.S. Surgeon General, she was a fierce advocate for health education, disease prevention, and equitable healthcare access.

13/02/2025

RFK Jr. Confirmed as Leader of HHS.

In the end, the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary on a nearly party-line vote.

05/02/2025

This comprehensive report builds on previous efforts to tackle diabetes in Arizona, emphasizing prevention and access to care. Why You Should Care: Diabetes is currently the eighth-leading cause of premature death in Arizona, contributing significantly to early disability. Over 615,000 adults in Arizona live with diabetes, and nearly 2 million have prediabetes, a condition that often leads to type 2 diabetes if left unaddressed. Close to 90% of those with prediabetes are unaware of their condition.

Diabetes is a demanding and costly chronic disease that impacts many individuals across Arizona and the United States. A new report from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) highlights the significant burden diabetes is on our state’s health care system and communities while offering a...