Preparing for a new session: Medicaid Funding

Dear friends,

I expected this site to be dormant and perhaps removed altogether by this time but I decided to use it to post some thoughts on the current state legislature and its work.

The State Legislative session will begin next week but there are many preliminary meetings going on now to address the immediate financial problems that the state faces.

One committee is studying health care and proposals to cut expenditures to Medicaid. Details about the State's commitment to Medicaid can be found at www.healthpolicyproject.org but in a nutshell, you need to know that for every dollar that the state puts in to Medicaid, the federal government sends three more. There isn’t another investment that I know of that brings that kind of return – especially in today’s economy.

In the opposite direction, every dollar that the legislature cuts from Medicaid means four dollars of services must be dropped. And cutting the programs paid for by Medicaid will result in more expensive problems that must be addressed with payments by taxes for some other program or by higher costs to healthcare consumers for doctor and hospital bills. It just doesn’t make sense.

Many families that live and work in Provo and Orem are impacted by access to Medicaid benefits, either because they receive care or are healthcare providers.

If you believe, as I do, that Medicaid is one area that should not be cut, you should send word right away to your legislators, especially those who are right now looking at health care appropriations by the State. Senator Margaret Dayton and Representative Keith Grover, both representing people in Orem and Provo, are on the committee and they want to hear from you. Mr. Grover’s email address is keithgrover@utah.gov and phone number is: 801-319-0170. Mrs. Dayton’s is: mdayton@utahsenate.org and (801) 221-0623, Calling or email is best, since they are in meetings right now!

Please let your voices be heard on this or other issues that are important to you.