Mr. Herbert would like to set up a three-year pilot program to aid low-income residents in purchasing private healthcare coverage, using the federal funds Utah would have received to support traditional Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the report. Approximately 60,000 state residents don’t qualify for either Medicaid or for federal subsidies to pay for private plans through the PPACA health insurance exchange.
His plan is similar to proposals being carried out in other states such as Arkansas and Iowa. Utah would have to receive a waiver from the federal government to move forward with the private coverage alternative.
Last month, Mr. Herbert announced during a news conference that “doing nothing is not an option” when it comes to Medicaid expansion. Under the PPACA, states have the option of expanding their Medicaid programs to cover adults earning as much as 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Utah joins 25 other states and the District of Columbia in moving forward with expansion, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Additionally, Indiana and Pennsylvania are looking into expansion after 2014.
More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:
Arkansas House Fails to Reauthorize Medicaid Expansion Program
Study: No Medicaid Expansion to Cause More Deaths, Hurt Finances
Virginia House Members: No Medicaid Expansion This Year
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