PHOENIX — A massive number of Arizonans could lose their health care if the GOP’s Medicaid cuts become law, according to Gov. Katie Hobbs.

“Under the current plan, somewhere around 10 million Americans will lose health care coverage,” Hobbs told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos on Wednesday.

The Democrat spoke hours after Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee voted in favor of President Donald Trump’s massive bill full of various tax breaks.

“These Medicaid cuts will kill people, and there is not a state in the country, I don’t believe, that has the capacity to absorb these kind of cuts. Certainly, Arizona can’t,” Hobbs said. “We might be able to put some Band-aids for a little while, but we can’t absorb the impact.”

Arizona governor says GOP bill will lead to widespread Medicaid cuts

The legislation seeks to cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks by cutting spending to various federal services.

A significant portion of those cuts — $880 billion — will come from Medicaid, according to the Associated Press.

“It’s a lot of money and the state matches a much larger percent of what the federal government provides,” Hobbs said. “But it is not a hand out from the federal government. I want to remind people all of these cuts, these are Arizona tax dollars that we send to Washington, and they need to send it back to us for us to take care of our folks.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican, has said he hopes to send the bill to the U.S. Senate by Memorial Day.

“We haven’t digested the full impact of those details in Arizona, but it’s safe to say that hundreds of thousands of people stand to lose their health care,” Hobbs said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A new law signed by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs last week authorizes the state’s four Division I universities to directly pay students for their name, image and likeness.

Senate Bill 1615, which went into effect on May 7, states that universities cannot classify athletes as employees.

The law also allows universities to engage with third-parties to “facilitate opportunities” to compensate athletes without enforcement from the NCAA or other governing bodies.

“The bill allows the university to partner with a third-party entity that is dedicated to secure deals beyond the university’s brand, creating more NIL opportunities for students,” Jason Corriher, Arizona senior associate athletic director for strategic communications, told Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services.

The timing of the legislation comes as college athletic department await a ruling in the House vs. NCAA settlement. California federal judge Claudia Wilken is expected to approve a $2.8 billion settlement that would, among other things, allow schools to directly pay athletes a portion of an athletic department’s revenues, capped at $20.5 million, beginning July 1, 2025.

If the settlement is rejected, schools could still pay athletes directly if their state governments allow.

Braly Keller, director of collegiate services and insight for NIL firm Opendorse, praised the bill, saying on X that “Arizona quickly went from one of the shortest and more dated NIL laws to a robust policy.”

Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois championed a first-of-its-kind Missouri NIL bill in 2022 during her time as Mizzou’s AD. That bill allowed high school recruits to earn NIL as long as they sign with a school in the state.

Reed-Francois told the Arizona Daily Star’s Bruce Pascoe that the Arizona legislation will keep the state competitive in the evolving NIL landscape.

“SB 1615 ensures the University of Arizona has the tools and structure to remain nationally competitive in recruiting and retaining top student-athletes,” she said. “The bill provides greater clarity around the rights and protections of student-athletes engaging in NIL activity.”

The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. TJ Shope (R-Coolidge), gives universities at least one new way to raise money that can be shared with athletes: 50/50 raffles.

Arizona previously required that half the money raised through raffles be distributed to a pre-selected entity like a charity. Under the new law, universities can disperse raffle revenues to athletes.

For example, If Arizona Stadium holds a 50/50 raffle this fall and $100,000 are put in the pot, the Arizona athletic department can hold on to $50,000 and use it to pay athletes.

The raffle funds are an avenue for Arizona athletics to raise the $20.5 million that can be paid directly to students under the pending House settlement.

Arizona will spend most of the $20.5 million on football and men’s basketball players, with the remaining money going towards athletes in other sports.

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Of the more than 10,000 known rare diseases, only approximately 5% have a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment. Diagnosis can take years for many rare disease patients, and their direct medical costs are three to five times higher than someone of similar age without a rare disease. This council will serve to educate lawmakers and state agencies about these challenges and provide recommendations for policies that benefit the more than 30 million Americans living with rare diseases, including approximately one in 10 Arizonans.

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About the National Organization for Rare Disorders

With a 42-year history of advancing care, treatments, and policy, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD®) is the leading and longest-standing patient advocacy group for the 30 million Americans living with a rare disease. A nonpartisan, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, NORD is dedicated to individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them. NORD, along with its more than 350 patient organization members, is committed to improving the health and well-being of people with rare diseases by driving advances in care, research, and policy.

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