Disability Community Warns of Harm as Arizona’s New Policies Begin

Arizona lawmakers are sounding the alarm after controversial disability assessment policies officially took effect on October 1, despite widespread pushback from families and service providers.

Lawmakers Call for a Return to the Table

House Majority Whip Julie Willoughby and State Senator Janae Shamp are urging the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to meet again with the disability community and create an evidence-based process.

The lawmakers said they spent recent weeks with parents, self-advocates, and direct care workers. Many voiced frustration about being excluded from meaningful talks on the changes.

“Families are desperate to be heard,” Rep. Willoughby said. “This new tool is not evidence-based, as health care should be. These decisions affect vulnerable Arizonans and their families, yet their voices were ignored. The Legislature should not have to clean up the damage. Bureaucrats always get it wrong when they refuse to listen.”

The two Republican lawmakers said they had spent recent weeks meeting with parents, self-advocates, and direct care workers who voiced deep frustration over being left out of meaningful discussions about the changes.

Sen. Shamp added urgency. “We hear self-advocates, parents, and workers loud and clear. Lives are at stake. We must act now to make sure the system delivers the best outcomes.”

Concerns Over Impact on Families and Providers

Families and providers warn the new model will strain hospitals and clinics already stretched thin. Critics say the changes push more responsibility onto systems unprepared to carry it, driving up costs and reducing care.

One of the most divisive shifts moves habilitation services from skill-based to age-based. Parents and providers argue that without early, skill-focused support, children could face lifelong setbacks. They warn this will raise long-term costs for the state.

Community members admit state programs need limits. Still, they call these policies extreme, unsustainable, and harmful to the very people meant to be protected.

Pressure Builds for a Policy Pause

With the rules now in effect, Willoughby and Shamp are pressing DES and AHCCCS to pause implementation. They want talks reopened with families, providers, and disability advocates.

“We urge DES and AHCCCS to stop these harmful changes and sit down with families and providers,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Building this tool is a serious task. We need people with real experience at the table to ensure the best outcomes.”

Looking Ahead

Families are already feeling the effects of the new rules. Pressure is growing on state officials to reconsider their approach and build a system guided by evidence and lived experience—not bureaucracy.