Legislative News: UTAAP Medicaid Expansion

The Utah Chapter AAP has been working with the Utah Medicaid Coalition (U4ME) to secure for Utahans as much of the Medicaid Expansion as Governor Herbert and the Legislature will allow. The Governor said Utah will "not do nothing," and he will make his final decision "soon," but the Legislature must pass a bill to fund the expansion.

The best approach to pushing for appropriate legislation is for at least five constituents of each and every legislator to let him/her know that they want legislation passed to fund the Medicaid Expansion. Many of us have daily parent or patient contact with these constituents.

TAKE ACTION: If you are in agreement with expanding Medicaid, we urge you to ask your clients to contact their own legislators and Representatives Dunnigan and Sanpei, simply to say, "Please pass legislation to fund Medicaid Expansion," nothing more. If you want additional information for yourself or for discussion with your families, we have attached talking points to help. And finally, if one of your families has a story to tell about their need for health care coverage, have them email it to mystory@healthpolicyproject.org.

BACKGROUND: House Speaker Becky Lockhart, in her opening address to the legislature, said that she and the Legislative Leadership want nothing to do with any of the expansion, that Medicaid is fine just the way it is, and that they don't want to accept any additional federal funding to expand the program. The two legislators who might sponsor a Medicaid Expansion funding bill, Representatives Jim Dunnigan and Dean Sanpei, are reluctant to do so in the current atmosphere.

Many health care providers, on the other hand, see 156,000 legal Utahans, uninsured adults and children under 18, as needing health insurance desperately, to obtain medical and mental health care, long term care, and preventive care.

PLEASE HELP US GET THIS THROUGH!

Sincerely,
Claudia, MD, FAAP
Utah Chapter Legislative Chair & Immediate Past President

Tom Metcalf, MD, FAAP
Utah Chapter Senior Representative

UTAH CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
Chapter Office: (801) 968-3411
Chapter Email: office@aaputah.org