Medicaid fraud targeting Indigenous communities continues despite AHCCCS reforms Though Arizona’s Medicaid agency says behavioral health fraud has stabilized since 2023, questionable sober living homes continue to recruit Native Americans.

NEW: Arizona says the worst of its Medicaid behavioral health fraud crisis is over. But nearly 3 years later, questionable sober living homes are still recruiting Indigenous community members, AZCIR's @jasminedemers.bsky.social has found. azcir.org/news/2026/02...

Despite broad support for abortion access in their Arizona districts, GOP lawmakers push new restrictions Voters in 2024 passed Proposition 139, a constitutional amendment guaranteeing Arizonans the right to abortion, with nearly 62% support statewide. An AZCIR analysis shows Republican lawmakers responde...

Here it is! My first story with @azcir.org. When I saw AZ lawmakers had introduced laws that would restrict abortion access, I wondered if their actions reflected how their districts voted for Prop. 139. I found it didn't: Each LD voted in favor of the right to abortion care.

Arizona voters approved in-state tuition for undocumented students. The state left implementation to chance After Arizona voters approved a 2022 ballot initiative granting in-state tuition to undocumented students, the state put no centralized system in place to track participation or ensure consistent impl...

3 years after AZ voters approved in-state tuition for undocumented students through Prop 308, it’s unclear how many have actually benefited. The state had no centralized system to oversee the law's rollout or ensure consistent implementation, AZCIR found.

Read our latest: azcir.org/news/2026/01...

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Ukraine's 'battle-tested' drones are accelerating militarization along the U.S.-Mexico border - Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting As U.S. law enforcement agencies adopt drone systems “battle-tested” in Ukraine, experts question whether existing safeguards are sufficient to govern increasing levels of surveillance on U.S. soil. T...

Drones “battle-tested” in Ukraine are now being piloted at the U.S.-Mexico border, where the boundaries between local police and military operations are becoming increasingly blurred.

Reported from Ukraine by AZCIR in collaboration w/ @appalachia100.bsky.social. Supported by IWMF.

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Arizona's Hualapai Valley now a 'de facto transfer basin' for out-of-state interests Since 2014, an influx of out-of-state interests have drilled nearly 200 agricultural wells in Mohave County’s Hualapai Valley groundwater basin, straining the aquifer and putting residential water sup...

NEW: When CA and NV tightened groundwater rules, investors didn’t stop drilling — they just moved into AZ. Now, more than 99% of cropland in one rural basin is owned or controlled by out-of-state interests. @azcir.org's latest, via @clomahqu.bsky.social & Brendon Derr:

azcir.org/news/2025/11...

Medicaid cuts could mean reduced hours, layoffs, or even clinic closures — especially in rural areas where access to care is already limited. The ripple effects could destabilize the entire system, from emergency rooms to rural hospitals, @azcir.org's latest, via @jasminedemers.bsky.social

Arizona’s community health centers were built on Medicaid. Now they face uncertainty Arizona’s safety net of community health centers, which serve 870,00 patients, face an uncertain future as billions in federal Medicaid cuts loom.

NEW: More than half of AZ’s community health center funds come from Medicaid. A new federal law could slash $34 billion in Medicaid dollars over the next decade—leaving more than 300,000 Arizonans without coverage, via @jasminedemers.bsky.social

azcir.org/news/2025/09...

Amid student fear and uncertainty, Arizona colleges split on clear policies for ICE on campus Arizona’s 20 higher education institutions with the largest in-person enrollments are split on providing clear policies for what to do if ICE shows up on campus.

NEW: What would your university do if ICE agents showed up? In Arizona, the answer isn’t always clear. Experts say schools should have explicit protocols, but @azcir.org's @molboha.bsky.social found some of the state’s largest universities don’t.

azcir.org/news/2025/09...

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Tribal water settlement aims to repair generations of exclusion The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act would repair decades of legal disputes and devote $5 billion to delivering Colorado River water to tribes in northeastern Arizona.

After decades of drought, contamination & legal battles, Hopi, Navajo & San Juan Southern Paiute tribes are closer to securing long-promised water rights. A $5B federal settlement could deliver Colorado River water after generations of exclusion, via @clomahqu.bsky.social
azcir.org/news/2025/07...

Arizona Has Recovered Just 5% of Taxpayer Dollars Lost in a $2.5 Billion Medicaid Fraud Scheme The state has so far indicted more than 100 individuals and recouped $125 million. But despite state and federal efforts, it’s likely that most of the stolen taxpayer money won’t be recovered,…

Arizona has so far indicted more than 100 individuals involved in the Medicaid fraud scheme and recouped $125 million — just 5% of the funds the state estimates it paid to bad actors.

By @jasminedemers.bsky.social, with @azcir.org

Arizona Has Recovered Just 5% of Taxpayer Dollars Lost in a $2.5 Billion Medicaid Fraud Scheme The state has so far indicted more than 100 individuals and recouped $125 million. But despite state and federal efforts, it’s likely that most of the stolen taxpayer money won’t be recovered,…

Arizona’s Medicaid agency says its efforts to unravel the crisis could take many years. Even then, it’s likely that most of the stolen taxpayer money won’t be recovered.

By @jasminedemers.bsky.social of @azcir.org

The state has so far indicted more than 100 individuals and recouped $125 million, but most of the stolen funds are likely gone for good.

Here’s our latest about the state’s response to Medicaid fraud, with @propublica.org.

Director of Arizona Medicaid agency resigns following fraud scheme response Under Carmen Heredia’s leadership, the agency withheld payment to more than 300 businesses as it investigated fraud allegations. The state’s swift response left patients homeless, AZCIR and ProPublica...

Our investigation with @propublica.org found that Arizona’s response to a massive Medicaid fraud scheme left patients without access to the drug and alcohol treatment they needed. This week, the director of the state’s Medicaid agency resigned.

New law increases oversight of Arizona sober living homes The legislation follows an AZCIR and ProPublica investigation on a $2 billion Medicaid fraud scheme that targeted Native Americans seeking drug and alcohol treatment.

In January, AZCIR and @propublica.org reported on how former Arizona Medicaid officials had failed for years to stem a $2 billion fraud scheme targeting Native Americans, despite repeated warnings. A new law aims to add oversight. azcir.org/news/2025/04...

JOB: AZCIR Development Associate AZCIR, a statewide nonprofit (501c3) newsroom based in Phoenix, seeks an energetic and motivated individual to help lead AZCIR’s fundraising efforts at a critical time of growth for the newsroom.

Hey folks! @azcir.org is looking for a development associate to help lead fundraising efforts. Not to brag or anything, but this is a pretty cool place to work. Apply here! azcir.org/news/2025/03...

Arizona child care assistance waitlist returns for thousands More than 2,000 Arizona children have been waitlisted for state child care assistance, according to the Department of Economic Security, and that number is likely to climb as the agency reviews pendin...

NEW: More than 2,000 Arizona children have been waitlisted for state child care assistance, according to the Department of Economic Security, and that number is likely to climb as the agency reviews pending applications, w/ @mpolletta.bsky.social

azcir.org/news/2025/02...

Dozens died in sober living homes as Arizona fumbled fraud response Arizona officials acknowledged that a fraud scheme targeting Indigenous people with addictions cost taxpayers $2.5 billion, but haven't accounted publicly for the deaths tied to the scheme.

Arizona’s Medicaid agency acknowledged that a fraud scheme targeting Indigenous people with addictions cost taxpayers at least $2.5 billion. But the state hasn’t accounted publicly for the number of deaths caused by the crisis. W/ @propublica.org we found at least 40
azcir.org/news/2025/01...

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