Dawn Bonker History 2800 Utahs Diverse Heritage November 21, 2013

Hospital association supports Medicaid expansion for low-income Utahns KSL News November 20, 2013

Gov. Herbert and state Legislature has not decided yet to opt in for the Affordable Care Act, which would expand Medicaid to the states low-income population and is fully federally funded. There are more than 370,000 people in Utah that currently do not have health insurance, approximately 123,000 would qualify for federal and state-funded Medicaid programs if there was a full expansion. The Utah Hospital Association believes that the state should create ways for people who live on wages between 100 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level by offering premium subsidies to help them afford health care. The organization is ready to help state leaders bring affordable health care to all Utahns. Others voiced their agreement with the expansion by rallying at the Capitol; there were approximately 150 people that made the gathering. The Utah Department of Health also supports the full expansion by declaring it would save the state more than $11 million in fiscal year 2015. Although, the governor has not decided but he has plans to declare a position on the matter before the upcoming legislative session in late January. I am in full support of the Affordable Health Care Act; everyone should be insured with some type of preventative insurance at least. The act has already guaranteed our youth to be eligible to stay on their parents insurance until age 26 so they can continue to get the schooling they need to succeed in life. Also, it has required insurance companies to provide mothers

with the essentials to feed their newborns without having to cover the expense on their own. I can understand the hospitals support for this expansion since many people go to the emergency room if they have no insurance and the hospital writes off these expenses and or passes the cost on to the taxpayer.