Should Utah take federal money and expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act? Governor Herbert is pushing for expansion using $258 million in federal dollars.
A plan supported by some legislative Republicans would refuse federal money and use $35 million in state money to provide health coverage for some of the 60,000 or so uninsured Utah residents. Senator Jim Dabakis D-Salt Lake City calls this the “single most important moment facing the state in a generation.” Senate Majority Leader Ralph Okerlund R-Monroe, says that lawmakers might not pass a Medicaid bill this session. The governor says this issue may need to be addressed in a special session. We’ll examine Medicaid expansion with Sen. Luz Robles D-Salt Lake City; Rep. Dr. Ed Redd R-Logan; and RyLee Curtis, Medicaid Policy Analyst and Jason Stevenson, Education & Communications Director with Utah Health Policy Project on Thursday’s AU.
