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UDOH Cost/Benefit Report on Medicaid Expansion Delayed

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.

Originally the Utah Department of Health said the report would be finished near the end of January in time for the beginning of the legislative session but, since then they’ve delayed it three times. Department spokesman Tom Hudachko says while it’s taking longer than expected they’ve never promised a completion date.

“We really don’t want to rush the project," he says. "We want to make sure that we get a well thought out, thorough, accurate analysis, even if it takes a little more time to complete. Because, we believe that ultimately that will provide a better benefit to policy makers who have to make a decision about whether or not to expand the program.”

He says he expects the report to be finished in the next several weeks but he can’t say if it will be complete before the end of the legislative session. The Massachusetts based Public Consulting Group is compiling the report.

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