Policy and advocacy
Policy development and governance
AzHHA’s advocacy agenda focuses on the needs of Arizona hospitals and their patients. Every year, AzHHA’s Public Policy Committee evaluates new trends in healthcare delivery, workforce, finance and regulation. The committee considers members' feedback, operational challenges and external policy pressures, and uses this information to recommend a policy framework to the Board of Directors.
The Board then sets AzHHA’s official advocacy priorities for the upcoming year. These priorities aim to improve patient access, maintain healthcare capacity, tackle systemic barriers and support the long-term sustainability of hospitals statewide. This structured process ensures that issues are driven by meaningful insights rather than headlines or fleeting opportunities and are grounded in the real experiences of our member hospitals and their communities.
Applying the agenda during the legislative session
Once the Board adopts the policy framework, AzHHA aligns its advocacy strategy with the realities of the current legislative session. This may involve pursuing targeted legislation, opposing harmful policy proposals, participating in agency rulemaking or promoting issues through stakeholder processes when statutory change is not feasible.
During each session, our approach may involve:
- Supporting legislation that reflects our priorities and improves patient care.
- Proposing amendments to refine or mitigate the impact of bills.
- Opposing measures that add cost, reduce access or undermine hospital operations.
- Working with sponsors, leadership, agencies and coalitions to negotiate solutions.
- Identifying opportunities within budget negotiations or administrative pathways.
- Leveraging data, member testimony and lived clinical impact to support policy outcomes.
This approach enables us to stay responsive to legislative requirements while remaining true to our members' priorities. The following section explains how we applied this framework during the current year.
2026 AzHHA advocacy priorities
The AzHHA Board of Directors sets an annual policy framework to guide our advocacy efforts. For the Fifty‑seventh Legislature – Second Regular Session in 2026, our focus will be on strengthening patient access, reducing operational and regulatory barriers, supporting sustainable care delivery and reinforcing the healthcare workforce. These priorities reflect the evolving challenges our members face across Arizona’s rural and urban communities as the state continues to navigate shifting demographic, financial and system‑wide pressures.
Holding health insurers accountable
Health insurance practices must not compromise patient care or delay payments to providers. Our efforts in 2025 centered on increasing transparency, eliminating unnecessary credentialing delays and ensuring that medical professionals maintain control over clinical decisions.
Key initiatives:
- Establish clear credentialing and contract-loading timelines with retroactive payments to prevent onboarding revenue loss.
- Require thorough explanations for denial decisions and precise contact details to address questions.
- Prohibit using artificial intelligence to deny claims related to medical judgment, experimental procedures or medical necessity.
2025 legislation and status
Bill
Status
Interfacility transportation
Hospitals are still experiencing unmanageable delays in transferring patients. These hold patients in emergency departments for hours or days, drain hospital resources and limit access to advanced or specialized care.
Key initiatives:
- Remove certificate of need requirements for interfacility transport.
- Allow hospitals to run their own transportation services or contract directly with local fire agencies or districts.
2025 legislation and status
Bill
Status
HELD
Improving outcomes in maternal health
Maternal morbidity and mortality remain a critical concern. The impact is especially severe in rural communities, among women of color, women living below the federal poverty line and patients with chronic conditions. Increasing mental health resources, postpartum support and access to rural OBGYN care are key to improving outcomes statewide.
Key initiatives:
- Provide statewide postpartum education on maternal mental health, including postpartum depression.
- Establish a multidisciplinary advisory committee to address rural maternal health and OBGYN needs.
2025 legislation and status
Bill
Status
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Reducing regulatory barriers that limit access to care
Regulation should protect patients, not restrict care or create stigma. Our efforts in 2025 focused on modernizing oversight, making survey processes transparent and supporting professionals who seek mental health treatment.
Key initiatives:
- Standardize how behavioral health centers document sober-living residency and ensure clear complaint classifications and investigation timelines.
- Remove intrusive mental health disclosure questions from licensing applications and allow boards only to address current, monitored conditions that impact safe practice.
2025 legislation and status
Bill
Status