Medicaid

Utah Lawmakers Consider Partnership to Encourage Long-Term Care Insurance

Andrea Smardon — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:24:19 +0000

Utah lawmakers are considering a bill that would encourage citizens to buy private long-term care insurance. More than 35 states already have this type of public-private partnership.

Utah insurance broker Craig Oberle told the state Health and Human Services committee that people don’t like to think about long term care, and how much it might cost.

“We all know the baby boom generation and what’s happening, it’s an absolute tsunami that’s coming,” Oberle said.

KUER News Pod: Wednesday April 24, 2013

Brian Grimmett — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:53:21 +0000

The public turns out in droves to discuss the Sugar House Streetcar, Great Salt Lake Minerals is scaling back their expansion plans, and the Medicaid Community Workgroup meets at the capitol for the first time.

Medicaid Expansion Community Workgroup Holds First Meeting

Andrea Smardon — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:44:48 +0000

A select group of healthcare providers, advocates, and community leaders met at the State Capitol Tuesday to discuss Medicaid, and the state’s pending decision on whether to expand the program to include more uninsured, low-income Utahns. Utah Department of Health Executive Director David Patton brought together about 20 people for the Medicaid workgroup.

Utah Department of Health Declares Open Enrollment for PCN

Terry Gildea — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:30:56 +0000

The Utah Department of Health announced that it will allow open enrollment for its health coverage plan known as Primary Care Network or PCN. The plan is designed to provide low income people and families with preventative care options, but there are many services it does not cover.

PCN has been closed to enrollment since March 2012, but enough funding currently exists to allow for open enrollment over the next three to four weeks. Kolbi Young is a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Health.

Lawmakers Set Course for Medicaid Decision

Andrea Smardon — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:56:27 +0000

Wednesday night, the Utah Senate guaranteed that Governor Gary Herbert will play a key role in deciding if the state will expand its Medicaid program. Lawmakers in both chambers approved a substitute bill that now sets guidelines for how the Governor will make his decision.

Ban on Medicaid Expansion Passes House

Whittney Evans — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:45:00 +0000

The Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act permits states to opt out of the law's Medicaid expansion, and that’s what Utah House lawmakers aim to do with House Bill 391. The bill would ban Utah’s governor and the Department of Health from expanding the Medicaid program. It passed the Utah House of Representatives this morning and now heads to the Senate where it faces opposition from leadership.

Medicaid Battle Looming

Dan Bammes — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:25:55 +0000

A battle could be shaping up in the Utah House of Representatives over a bill that would stop the state from expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Bill Advances to Stop Medicaid Expansion

Dan Bammes — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:28:00 +0000

A bill that would stop the state of Utah from expanding its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act passed a committee vote Wednesday evening.

Supporters Rally for Medicaid Expansion

Dan Bammes — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 22:19:45 +0000

Supporters of expanding Utah’s Medicaid program under the President’s health care plan don’t expect to see a decision during the legislative session. But they came to Utah's state capitol Friday to make their point anyway.

Utah Democrats Push for Medicaid Expansion

Terry Gildea — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:43:04 +0000

Utah Democrats in the state legislature called on Governor Gary Herbert today to move forward with increasing Medicaid coverage. States have the option to expand their programs under the Affordable Care Act.

KUER News Pod: Friday February 22, 2013

Brian Grimmett — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:56:40 +0000

Utah Governor Gary Herbert addresses Medicaid expansion, guns, and the sequester at his monthly news conference, the Legislature debates a suicide prevention bill, and former Governor Jon Huntsman says he supports gay marriage.

Herbert: Medicaid Decision Delayed

Dan Bammes — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:12:22 +0000

Utah Governor Gary Herbert says a decision on expanding Utah's Medicaid program may have to wait until this summer. Herbert told his monthly news conference on KUED Thursday morning that Utah won't follow the lead of any other state on the issue.

UDOH Cost/Benefit Report on Medicaid Expansion Delayed

Brian Grimmett — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:08:05 +0000

The Utah Department of Health says that the privately contracted cost/benefit analysis of the optional Medicaid expansion is still not complete. The Social Services joint appropriations committee had planned to hear the report Tuesday morning.

KUER News Pod: Thursday February 14, 2013

Brian Grimmett — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:42:17 +0000

A new report says that Utah would benefit from Medicaid expansion, protests continue over Utah’s poor air quality, and Dixie State College is on it’s way to becoming a University.

Report Shows Medicaid Expansion Would Create Jobs, Stimulate Utah Economy

Andrea Smardon — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:06:15 +0000

A new report shows that Utah’s economy would benefit from an expansion of Medicaid, creating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity.

The report comes from the national nonprofit organization Families USA and Utah Health Policy Project. UHPP Director Judi Hilman told KUER an expansion of Medicaid will allow millions of federal dollars to flow into Utah, stimulating the economy.

Advocates Make the Case for Medicaid Expansion, Lawmakers Say it’s Governor’s Decision

Andrea Smardon — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:23:20 +0000

Healthcare advocates converged on the Capitol Friday to encourage lawmakers to expand Medicaid to more low income residents, but state lawmakers held off on debate for now, and said the Governor will have to make the decision.

Family physician Ray Ward kicked off the meeting of the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee with an impassioned plea for the expansion of Medicaid to cover an estimated 145,000 more low-income Utahns.

New Utah Senate President Calls For Fiscal Responsibility

Brian Grimmett — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:07:07 +0000

Newly elected Utah Senate President Wayne Neiderhauser opened the 2013 Legislative session by urging senators to be fiscally responsible.

In his opening remarks Senate President Wayne Neiderhauser warned his fellow senators to be careful not to believe they can create money out of thin air as they go about tackling some of Utah’s tough budget issues. He says he hopes to see legislators pass laws that work in the long term, especially when it comes to education funding.

KUER News Pod: Friday January 18, 2013

Brian Grimmett — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:52:02 +0000

Controversy stirs around the Dixie State College name change, the Utah Department of Health once again loses Medicaid patient data, and a 92-year-old World War II veteran finally receives his war medals after waiting more than 60 years.

Despite Efforts to Improve Security, Utah’s Medicaid Data is Breached Again

Andrea Smardon — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:49:28 +0000

The Utah Department of Health says human error caused the most recent data breach, where the personal information of 6000 Medicaid clients was lost on a thumb drive.

The mistake was made by an employee of a third-party contractor, Goold Health Systems, which processes pharmacy claims for Utah’s Medicaid program. State Health Department spokesman Tom Hudachko said the employee should never have downloaded data onto an unencrypted thumb drive.

KUER News Pod: Monday January 7, 2012

Brian Grimmett — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:59:21 +0000

Governor Gary Herbert is sworn into his first full term, newly elected State Auditor John Dougall sits down and talks with KUER’s Dan Bammes, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gives conditional approval to Utah’s health exchange.

KUER News Pod: Friday January 4, 2013

Brian Grimmett — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 20:31:06 +0000

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gives Utah conditional approval for their state run health exchange, a University of Utah program tries to give children with Autism a better quality of life, and the Holly Oil Refinery in Woods Cross gets approval to expand.

KUER News Pod: Monday December 17, 2012

Brian Grimmett — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:13:54 +0000

An Ogden family mourns the loss of their child in the aftermath of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting, the Utah Department of Health looks into the costs of expanding Medicaid, and Salt Lake County approves a 16% tax increase.

Public Pushes for Health Benefits to Be Considered in State’s Medicaid Expansion Study

Andrea Smardon — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:44:09 +0000

The Utah Department of Health has hired an outside firm to study the costs and benefits of expanding Medicaid in the state. The department has been gathering feedback from the public on what should be considered in the study.

Christina Osburn has a brain tumor and epilepsy. She’s been on Medicaid for more than 10 years, but she expects to lose that coverage because her income will soon exceed the threshold to qualify.

Governor's Budget Omits Funding for Medicaid Expansion

Andrea Smardon — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:51:57 +0000

Some healthcare advocates were disappointed Wednesday to find out that Governor Gary Herbert did not include funding for the expansion of Medicaid in his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Governor Herbert spoke very little about healthcare in his budget presentation except to say that he is proceeding with caution.

Crossroads Connects Hunger and High Cost of Healthcare

Andrea Smardon — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:11:43 +0000

Low-income advocates are asking Governor Gary Herbert to remember Utahns who can’t afford basic healthcare this holiday season. On Friday, staff from Crossroads Urban Center and some uninsured Utahns presented results from a survey showing the connection between hunger and high healthcare costs.

Crossroads Urban Center surveyed more than 300 of the people they helped with food this year. Marjorie Hurder is a Social Justice Advocate at the Center, and she conducted many of the interviews.

Health Exchange Deadline Extended: Utah Still Non-Committal

Andrea Smardon — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:21:09 +0000

Governor Gary Herbert plans to send a letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services Friday declaring the state’s intentions on its health insurance exchange. Up until now, the Governor’s Office has not said whether the state will update its existing exchange, Avenue H, to meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act - or let the feds create their own exchange in the state. But Utah’s Health Reform Implementation Coordinator Norman Thurston says the letter doesn’t commit the state to anything.

KUER News Pod: Thursday November 15, 2012

Brian Grimmett — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:34:49 +0000

The state Legislature discusses a proposal to fix the state’s data security issues, the governor’s public lands policy coordinator says a lot more study needs to be done before taking over federal lands, and Salt Lake City conducts a community food assessment.

Utah Legislature Looks for Ways to Fix State Data Security Issues

Brian Grimmett — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:20:06 +0000

The state Health and Human Services interim committee unanimously supported draft legislation Wednesday aimed at fixing problems related to the state’s Medicaid data breach that left more than 800 thousand Utahn’s personal information vulnerable.

Utah Priorities Project: Health Care

Dan Bammes — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:20:12 +0000

The Affordable Care Act promises to extend the reach of health care coverage to many people who don’t have it now. Critics say it will do that at a huge cost in both money and individual liberty. But the mandate in the law for nearly everyone to buy health insurance has been upheld by the U-S Supreme Court and that requirement will take effect in 2014. The question facing Utah and the rest of country is how to implement the provisions that are maintained by the states.

Utah's Medicaid Overhaul Challenged as Deadlines Loom

Andrea Smardon — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:37:38 +0000

The State Department of Health is moving forward on an overhaul of the Medicaid system despite opposition. Utah’s new managed care contracts are designed to save the state money and are slated to go into effect in January, but some health advocates say the proposed contracts do not ensure quality care for patients. And the state’s Inspector General says the contracts do not ensure proper oversight of Medicaid funds. KUER’s Andrea Smardon reports.