Next week’s election and how you can still make your voice heard.
CMS nearing a final 2027 Medicare outpatient payment rule.
Applications opening next week for the 2027 Healthcare Leadership Academy cohort.
It’s not too late to vote.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026 was the last recommended day to mail your early ballot back.
If yours is still sitting on the kitchen counter, skip the mailbox and drop it off.
Why it matters: Arizona counts ballots that are received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, not ballots postmarked by then.
A ballot mailed this week may not arrive in time and a late ballot doesn’t count.
Working a 12-hour shift on Nov. 3? Make your plan now.
Your options:
Drop box: Use any official ballot drop box in your county by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Voting location: Drop it off at any early voting site, vote center or polling place in your county by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Vote early in person: Early in-person voting ends Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.
Vote on Election Day: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. If you’re in line at 7 p.m., you can still vote.
The fast lane: Bring a valid ID when you drop off your ballot at a voting location.
Once your ID is verified, your ballot skips signature verification and goes straight to processing.
In Maricopa County, Election Day voters can feed their early ballot into an on-site tabulator so it’s counted in election-night results.
Before you go:
Sign the green envelope. Only you can sign it. A missing signature must be corrected by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Bring ID to vote in person. You'll need it at every in-person voting location.
Lost or damaged your ballot? Visit a voting location in your county.
Track it. Sign up for BallotTrax alerts at Arizona.Vote.
Key dates:
Friday, Oct. 30: Last day to vote early in person.
Friday, Oct. 30 to Monday, Nov. 2 (5 p.m.): Emergency voting for those who can’t vote on Election Day. You’ll sign a statement, but you don’t have to disclose the nature of the emergency.
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day. All ballots must be received by 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 8: Last day to fix a signature issue (by 5 p.m.).
Find a location: Arizona.Vote links to each county’s elections site. Maricopa County voters can use any vote center or drop box countywide at Locations.Maricopa.Vote.
The bottom line: If you’re still holding on to an early ballot, don’t mail it.
Drop it off or vote in person by 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Bring your ID.
CMS nears final 2027 Medicare outpatient payment rule
Why it matters: The 2027 Medicare outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) final rule is expected within days and could reshape reimbursement, site-of-care strategies and outpatient revenue across hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has framed the changes around reducing beneficiary costs and improving payment accuracy.
What’s happening: Earlier this year, CMS proposed a broad package of payment and policy updates for calendar year 2027.
Key provisions include reimbursement changes for drugs purchased through the 340B program, expanded site-neutral payment policies, updates to ambulatory surgical center payments and continued efforts to address utilization management and price transparency.
By the numbers: CMS estimated its proposed 340B payment changes could reduce Medicare drug spending by approximately $5.7 billion in 2027, with about $1.15 billion in savings flowing directly to Medicare beneficiaries through lower out-of-pocket drug costs.
Under budget neutrality requirements, savings would be redistributed through higher payments for certain non-drug outpatient services.
What to watch: Hospital associations and provider groups have closely scrutinized the proposal because of its potential impact on health system finances, particularly for organizations that participate in the 340B program.
The final rule will determine whether CMS adopts, modifies or delays the proposed reimbursement cuts and other payment reforms.
The bottom line: Healthcare leaders should pay close attention to the final 2027 outpatient payment rule.
The decisions CMS makes could influence outpatient service profitability, beneficiary costs and long-term strategic planning for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers nationwide.
Applications open next week for the 2027 cohort of the Healthcare Leadership Academy
On Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, applications will open for the 2027 cohort of the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA).
The AzHHA Foundation partners with Creighton University’s College of Professional and Continuing Education to provide healthcare leadership and management education to rising leaders within AzHHA member hospitals.
Why it matters: The purpose of the HLA is to cultivate leadership within AzHHA member hospitals such that tomorrow’s C-suite is prepared to provide vision, articulate and live organization purpose, and promote operational and clinical innovations.
What you need to know: Nine months of learning begins in March 2027 and culminates in November 2027 which includes three in-person sessions and four hours of synchronous virtual attendance required on the second Thursday of April, May, June, July, September and October.
The HLA is geared toward mid-level managers and early-stage executives to prepare them for C-suite positions.
The big picture: This is fourth cohort of the HLA. Learn more about the program here.
What’s next: Applicants will need to submit their resume, written statement of purpose and a letter of recommendation from a senior executive or sponsoring leader within applicant’s organization as one PDF to MemberServices@azhha.org between Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 and 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact Laura Dickscheid, vice president of member services and 2024 HLA participant, at MemberServices@azhha.org.
Remote monitoring proposal could limit access for Medicare patients
Why it matters: A proposed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2027 Medicare physician fee schedule rule could significantly reduce access to remote patient monitoring (RPM) services, particularly for Medicare beneficiaries in rural communities who rely on connected devices and virtual support to manage chronic conditions.
What’s happening: CMS has proposed ending Medicare reimbursement for RPM services delivered through third-party vendors.
Instead, Medicare would only pay for monitoring services provided by clinical staff employed directly by the billing practice.
CMS says the change is intended to address concerns about fraud, oversight and care quality identified in recent Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General reports.
By the numbers: Remote monitoring use continues to grow rapidly.
Medicare payments for RPM services increased from $408 million in 2023 to $536 million in 2024, while nearly one million Medicare beneficiaries received remote monitoring services in 2024, a 27% increase from the prior year.
Why providers are concerned: Industry leaders argue that many physician practices and rural healthcare organizations depend on specialized technology vendors to operate RPM programs.
Without reimbursement for these arrangements, some organizations may be unable to sustain monitoring services that help patients manage conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease from home.
Caroline Pearson of the Peterson Center on Healthcare warned that rural communities could be among the hardest hit.
The bottom line: CMS is attempting to strengthen program integrity, but the proposal could create new access challenges for patients who benefit from remote monitoring.
Healthcare organizations should closely monitor the final rule and evaluate how potential reimbursement changes may affect virtual care and chronic disease management programs.
Americans with chronic conditions continue to struggle with healthcare costs
Why it matters: Rising healthcare costs are forcing many Americans, including those with insurance, to delay care, take on debt or make difficult financial tradeoffs.
The burden is especially heavy for people living with chronic illnesses or disabilities who require ongoing treatment and prescription medications.
While insurance coverage helps offset some expenses, many individuals still face significant out-of-pocket costs tied to deductibles, copays, coinsurance, specialty medications and ongoing medical care.
For some families, healthcare expenses compete directly with housing, food, transportation and other household necessities.
The human impact: People living with chronic conditions often require frequent doctor visits, tests, therapies and prescription drugs.
As costs accumulate, some patients report skipping appointments, rationing medications, delaying recommended treatments or accumulating medical debt.
These decisions can worsen health outcomes and create additional financial strain over time.
What to watch: Policymakers continue to debate solutions, including efforts to lower prescription drug costs, expand financial assistance programs and improve protections against medical debt.
However, affordability remains a major challenge for millions of Americans, particularly those managing long-term health conditions.
The bottom line: Health insurance does not always guarantee affordable healthcare.
As medical costs continue to rise, patients with chronic illnesses and disabilities remain among the most vulnerable to financial hardship, highlighting ongoing concerns about healthcare affordability and access in the U.S. healthcare system.
Honoring the runners up of the 2026 AzHHA Quality Awards
While the limelight often shines brightest on the winners, it’s equally vital to recognize those who closely followed in their footsteps—the runners up of the 2026 AzHHA Quality Awards.
Why it matters: Their dedication, innovation and commitment to quality have left an indelible mark on the healthcare sector, and even if they didn’t clinch the top spot, their projects have been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of excellence.
Why it matters: This free, hands-on experience gives kids the opportunity to climb aboard fire trucks, explore ambulances, see a helicopter up close and ask questions about the people and equipment they may encounter during an emergency.
The event was held in partnership with Guardian Flight, Navajo County, Timber Mesa Fire & Medical District, Native Air and Guardian Air.
Thank you, Summit Healthcare, for hosting this important event for your community!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 – Changing National Landscape of 340B webinar Join SunRx for an informative webinar featuring special guest speaker Bharath Krishnamurthy, health policy and analytics at the American Hospital Association. This webinar will provide an overview of the key developments shaping 340B today and what they may mean for 340B entities in the future. Register here.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026 – Strengthening the Rural Nursing Workforce: Transition to Practice as a Statewide Strategy webinar This webinar, hosted by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, will highlight the Arizona Transition to Practice Program. Karen Ofafa, EdD, MPH, BSN, R.N., vice president of Workforce and Clinical Excellence at AzHHA, will share implementation strategies, sustainability considerations and lessons learned that can inform broader efforts to strengthen the rural nursing workforce. Register now.
Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 – AzAHQ 2026 Fall Conference Join the Association for Healthcare Quality of Arizona (AzAHQ) for its fall conference titled “Enter the Next Era of Healthcare Quality — Advancing Quality through Human Expertise and Intelligent Technology.” This event will reinforce that healthcare quality advances when technology augments human expertise to create responsible automation and AI across the Healthcare Quality Ecosystem. Learn more and register.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026 – A Tribal Health System in Practice: Nursing Leadership and Rural Care in the Chickasaw Nation Tribal health systems are an important part of the rural healthcare landscape, yet their governance, access models and care delivery structures may be unfamiliar to many healthcare leaders. During this Rural Health Month webinar, leaders from the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health will provide an inside look at one Tribally operated health system and the nursing teams who serve its patients and communities. Register today.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026 – AZ Maternal and Child Health Workforce and Policy Summit – Building the Workforce. Shaping Policy. Supporting Families. Join leaders across Arizona’s maternal and child health ecosystem for a day of learning, connection and action focused on strengthening care from pregnancy through early childhood. This year’s Summit will focus on workforce, policies, partnerships and care pathways needed to better support families from pregnancy through postpartum, infancy and early childhood. Register now.
Jan. 8-9, 2027 – 3rd National Pediatric Disaster Conference The conference, which will be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., will focus on pediatric mass casualty incidents and innovative approaches to strengthening preparedness, response and recovery efforts for children. AzCHER encourages members to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to learn, connect and strengthen pediatric readiness. Learn more and register.
