Earlier this week, the Utah Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to move forward a bill that would scale back the number of people covered by the state’s voter approved Prop 3 Medicaid expansion. The committee, which includes southern Utah Senator Evan Vickers, approved SB 96, the Senate bill now goes on to the full Senate for a vote. The idea behind that the senate bill would rework Prop 3 with what Utah Republicans are calling a more financially responsible way to cover the expansion of Medicaid to those earning less than 100 percent of the poverty rate, relying on the existing subsidized insurance already available to take care of the 41,000 Utahns earning between 100 and 138 percent of poverty.
An approval of the Senate bill will result in a requirement for recipients to seek employment, imposes potential caps on enrollment and adds about $30 million to the 0.15 percent sales tax increase approved by voters in the original proposition. In order for Utah to offer the full expansion with the 90-10 federal funding match the Trump administration will have to agree to a waiver. A similar request last year was not granted, but bill sponsor Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden says he’s been virtually guaranteed the waiver will be granted.
Wednesday, Voices for Utah Children sent a letter signed by 40 different organizations calling upon Governor Herbert and the Legislature to ensure full Medicaid expansion is implemented by the April 1st deadline. You can read that letter here.
Date: February 6, 2019
Source: LakePowellLife.com
