Pima County plans to file a new lawsuit against the Trump Administration over changes to the Affordable Care Act they say are keeping residents from adequate health coverage.
The lawsuit will make Pima County the first in the country to challenge the new rule changes to the ACA, Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a news release.
“After our Office was offered the opportunity to become the first county in the country to launch a lawsuit against the new rule changes that would undermine the Affordable Care Act, I am thrilled with the decision by the majority of the Board of Supervisors to allow me to proceed,” the release said.
Supervisors approved joining the lawsuit 4-0, following a closed-door discussion that lasted about 30 minutes. Supervisor Steve Christy was absent.
Conover
The county will be filing a new lawsuit rather than joining an existing case against changes to the ACA being pursued by several states.
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The county said it could not provide further details about its case, like other parties that might be involved or the county's legal arguments.
However, Conover emphasized she represents public health agencies that will feel the consequences of people losing healthcare coverage.
“As the County Attorney, I represent the health department and other public health entities that will bear the brunt of the cost associated with their noble mission to serve all patients, whether they are insured or not,” Conover said in the release. ”I want to thank our partners for the opportunity to join forces in this important work during one of the most critical times in our country's history. I will do everything I can to stay on our winning streak of protecting the people of Pima County and protecting taxpayer dollars from this federal administration.”
Conover’s office could not confirm whether Pima County’s lawsuit will take a similar shape to two ongoing lawsuits that stem from changes passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025. Arizona is already part of a multi-state lawsuit over ACA changes, and a separate case includes cities and health agencies.
Both are against the Department of Health and Human Services and its Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Director Mehmet Oz for changing the open enrollment period and adding pre-enrollment requirements, among other complaints.
Both of those lawsuits allege the Trump Administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the federal law that governs how agencies make and change regulations and policies, and requires them to follow certain procedures when taking administrative actions.
