3/14/13

Utah lawmakers try to bar Medicaid expansion - Yahoo! Finance New Zealand

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UtahlawmakerstrytobarMedicaidexpansion
UtahRepublicanspushingforwardlegislationtoprohibitMedicaidexpansion

ByMichellel.Price,AssociatedPress|AssociatedPressTue,Mar12,20132:43AMNZDT

SALTLAKECITY(AP)UtahGov.GaryHerbertisstillwaitingtodecidewhethertoacceptthefederalgovernment'soffer toexpandMedicaid,butagroupofUtahlawmakerswantstolethimknowwheretheystandbypassingalawprohibiting theexpansion. Republicanlawmakerssaytheexpansionoffersa"falsepromise"offederalsupport. Criticssaythemoveisshortsightedandignoringadetailedstudyofwhat'sinthebestinterestforthestate. Underthehealthcareoverhaullaw,thefederalgovernmenthasofferedtopickupthefullcostofMedicaidexpansioninthe firstthreeyears,and90percentoverthelonghaul. Todate,21statesplusWashington,D.C.,haveannouncedplanstoexpandtheirMedicaidprogram.Fourteenstateshave optednottoexpandwhiletherest,includingUtah,havenotmadeadecision. IfHerbertdecidedtoexpandUtah'sprogram,about130,000uninsuredpeoplewouldgaincoverageunderMedicaid. That'sinadditiontothe225,000to250,000peoplethatarecurrentlyestimatedtobetheprograminthestate. SomeoftheindecisioninUtahandotherstatesaboutexpandingstemsfromconcernsthatdeficitburdenedWashington mayrenegeonthe90percentdeal.TheregularMedicaidmatchrateiscloserto50percent,whichwouldmeana significantburdenofthecostswouldshifttothestates. Thefederalgovernment'sspendingis"justnotsustainable"andUtahcannotrelyonfederaldollarsthatmaynotbethere foryearstocome,saidRep.JacobAnderegg,RLehi,whosponsoredthelegislationforbiddingtheexpansion. Ifthestateoptstogrowitsprogram,itwillbeforcedtomaketoughspendingchoicesdowntheroad,Rep.DanaLayton,R Orem,saidduringanewsconferenceFriday. "Whiletheremightbeashorttermgainforourcitizens,intheenditwillbearecipefordisaster,"Laytonsaid. Medicaidexpansionwouldnotcostthestateanythinginthefirstthreeyearsthankstothefederalreimbursement,butby 2021,itwouldcostthestateanestimated$60million,showsprojectionsfromtheUtahofficeofthelegislativefiscal analyst. WhetherornottheLegislatureapprovesAnderegg'sprohibition,lawmakersandthegovernorwillbedebatingtheissue overthenextfewmonths,HouseSpeakerRebeccaLockhartsaidThursday. Lockhart,aProvoRepublican,opposestheexpansionbutsaidshehasn'tdecidedifshe'llsupportthebill. OnThursday,thegovernorsaidheisn'tsurethelegislationwillmakeittohisdesk,andhestillplanstopostponehis decisionontheprogramuntilsometimethissummer. Herbertsaidheisawaitingtheresultsofanoutsidestudyontheexpansion'seffectonUtah. There'snotimelineforthestudy'scompletionandnofederaldeadlineforHerberttomakeadecision. ProponentsofexpandingMedicaidsayAnderegg'sbillwouldtiethestate'shandsbeforethedetailedanalysisisavailable. "Thisunderminesthethoughtfuldeliberationandstudythatgovernoralreadypaidfor,"saidJudiHilman,executive
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3/14/13

Utah lawmakers try to bar Medicaid expansion - Yahoo! Finance New Zealand

directoroftheUtahHealthPolicyProject."Thisisnotadecisionthatshouldbedecidedbypoliticsorphilosophyaboutthe sizeofgovernment." UtahDemocraticPartyExecutiveDirectorMattLyonsaidtheexpansionwillkeepmoretaxdollarsinUtahandalleviate somecoststhatthestateisalreadypaying. "Ifwerefusetheexpansion,wewillbeonthehookforthehospitalbillsthattheuninsuredcan'tpay,andthemoneythat UtahanspaidintothesystemthroughourtaxeswillgotocovertheMedicaidexpansioninotherstatesthatdidoptin,like NewJerseyandArizona,"hesaidinastatementissuedThursday. Lyoncalledthelegislation"apartisanhackjobandideologicalchestthumping." LyonandothercriticsaccuseRepublicansofrushingthelegislationthroughtheprocessatthelastminute.Itappearedlate WednesdaywhenlawmakerssubstituteditforabillthatoriginallysoughttonullifythefederalhealthcarelawinUtah. Andereggsaidheandfellowlawmakersalteredthebillbecauseareviewbylegislativeattorneysstatedthenullification wouldnotlikelyholdupincourt. TheHouseisexpectedtovoteonthelegislationthisweek.Andereggandhissupportershopeittohaveitapprovedbythe Senateandheadtothegovernor'sdeskbeforethelegislativesessionendsThursday.

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