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Last week I noted that Utah's launch of full ACA Medicaid expansion in January of this year was fortunately timed to catch tens of thousands of Utah residents who have lost access to employer-sponsored health insurance during the pandemic.
Yesterday I spoke to Stacy Stanford and Sarah Leetham of the Utah Health Policy Project about Utah's Medicaid enrollment gains during the pandemic -- which might fairly be deemed moderate when the full context is considered. UHPP was in the thick of the successful fight to pass a referendum to enact the ACA Medicaid expansion in 2018 and works with a network of partners to provide enrollment assistance to Utahns seeking coverage.
To review the back story briefly: After the referendum passed, Utah's Republican legislature and governor enacted a partial expansion, offering Medicaid to state residents with income up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level instead of to the ACA's stipulated threshold of 138% FPL. The partial expansion launched in April 2019, while the state filed a federal waiver request seeking to apply the ACA's 90% federal match rate to the limited expansion population. When CMS rejected the waiver, the state went to Plan B -- full expansion -- effective Jan 1, 2020. A work requirement went into effect on Jan. 1 but was suspended in April 2020 -- before anyone who failed to comply with its reporting and job-seeking demands could be disenrolled -- in response to the pandemic.
Last week I noted that Utah's launch of full ACA Medicaid expansion in January of this year was fortunately timed to catch tens of thousands of Utah residents who have lost access to employer-sponsored health insurance during the pandemic.
Yesterday I spoke to Stacy Stanford and Sarah Leetham of the Utah Health Policy Project about Utah's Medicaid enrollment gains during the pandemic -- which might fairly be deemed moderate when the full context is considered. UHPP was in the thick of the successful fight to pass a referendum to enact the ACA Medicaid expansion in 2018 and works with a network of partners to provide enrollment assistance to Utahns seeking coverage.
To review the back story briefly: After the referendum passed, Utah's Republican legislature and governor enacted a partial expansion, offering Medicaid to state residents with income up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level instead of to the ACA's stipulated threshold of 138% FPL. The partial expansion launched in April 2019, while the state filed a federal waiver request seeking to apply the ACA's 90% federal match rate to the limited expansion population. When CMS rejected the waiver, the state went to Plan B -- full expansion -- effective Jan 1, 2020. A work requirement went into effect on Jan. 1 but was suspended in April 2020 -- before anyone who failed to comply with its reporting and job-seeking demands could be disenrolled -- in response to the pandemic.
