NEWS HEADLINES:
Utah health insurance

Utah strikes unique deal on health insurance exchange

May 13, 2013

Politico — HHS and Utah reached an agreement that allows Utah to continue to operate its Avenue H exchange for small businesses, while the federal government will implement an exchange for individuals. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert viewed the agreement as a victory, but consumer advocates are concerned that people using Avenue H won’t learn about potential tax credits or Medicaid eligibility.

Despite approval, Utah and feds don’t agree on health insurance exchange

January 1, 2013

Stateline — HHS approved Gov. Gary Herbert’s plan to modify Avenue H — Utah’s existing health exchange for small businesses — to serve individuals and larger businesses. However, Utah Exchange Director Patty Conner says the exchange will be modified according to state’s plans and timeline, not the feds’.

Connecticut exceeds ACA specs, Utah skates low and California may send upcharges up in smoke

August 17, 2012

A roundup of state implementations of the requirements of the Affordable Care Act shows that a federal “takeover” of healthcare may be overstated. Some states, such as Utah, are trying to set a “bare minimum” plan that might not satisfy federal guidelines, while Connecticut ups the ante on what’s covered and California is close to saying that smokers should not have to pay higher health insurance premiums than non-smokers. Of course there are states who are refusing the free federal Medicaid dollars to help their poorest citizens get health insurance coverage.

Utah Governor says states, not feds, should improve health insurance coverage

August 3, 2012

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert argues that the federal government’s planned Medicaid expansion should be scuttled in exchange for fewer federal dollars delivered as a block grant without strings attached, and further states that all of “Obamacare” should be repealed. But the comments on the article are much more direct, and more interesting, than the Governor’s words.  Commenters point out that the Affordable Care Act allows states to opt out if they come up with their own plan that delivers the same or better results, and that Lincoln settled the question of whether we are one nation or a confederacy.

Read the Governor’s article, but read the comments, too.

Utah can afford ACA Medicaid expansion

July 8, 2012

Salt Lake CIty Tribune – Should Utah choose to participate in the 2014 Medicaid expansion, the ACA legislates that all categorical criteria be eliminated, giving everyone who is poor the chance to be insured. By allowing access to health care, these newly insured will have the ability to manage their care outside the emergency medical systems. Acknowledging that this would open the door to more participants and costs, the ACA’s carrot is that Utah will not have to pay a penny for new enrollees for the first two years. After 2016, Utah will have to kick in 10 percent of the total Medicaid program costs — a significant decrease from the current 30 percent.

Supreme Court brings up Utah’s health care exchange

March 28, 2012

The Salt Lake Tribune–U.S. Supreme Court Justice Eena Kagan mentioned Utah’s state health insurance exchange during arguments regarding the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that everyone purchase health insurance by 2014. “Justice Elena Kagan said it appeared the act and its benefits to consumers could operate outside of the requirement that everyone buy coverage. ‘Although the exchanges function perfectly well in Utah, where there is no mandate,’ Kagan said. ‘They function differently, but they function.’”

Utah Republican governor calls for expanding exchanges, encouraging individual responsibility

October 3, 2011

ThinkProgress – Utah solutions sound a lot like Affordable Care Act solutions, according to blogger Igor Volsky.

Utah fights to be model for bare-bones health exchange

February 16, 2011

Politico – Utah stands with Massachusetts as one of only two states with statewide health insurance exchanges in operation. It’s a bare-bones system with minimal bureaucracy, and the state would like it to stay that way.

States Say Overhaul Will Bust Already Strained Medicaid Budget

March 22, 2010

BusinessWeek – President Barack Obama faces a fight over the health-care overhaul from states that say they’ll sue because the legislation’s expansion of Medicaid imposes a fiscal strain their cash-strapped budgets can’t afford.

Democrats play down public health option

September 14, 2009

The Washington Times – The White House and its Democratic allies on Sunday tried to play down the role of a government insurance option in health care legislation as the party in power worked to reclaim momentum on President Obama’s top domestic priority.

Number of uninsured Utahns up slightly in 2008

March 23, 2009

The Salt Lake Tribune – The Utah Department of Health says the percentage of uninsured Utahns changed little from 2007 to 2008. The Utah Healthcare Access Survey, released as part of Cover the Uninsured Week, shows 10.7 percent of Utahns were uninsured in 2008, up slightly from 10.6 percent in 2007.

Click here to see Utah’s State Health Guide.

The Utah way of health reform

March 16, 2009

ZDNet – Conservatives seeking a model for their own brand of health reform will find their Massachusetts in Utah, where Gov. Jon Huntsman today signed four laws aimed at cutting costs without making wholesale changes in the system.

Click here to see Massachusetts’ State Health Guide.