Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — A yearslong battle over Medicaid expansion in Utah just got longer.
The Obama administration recently informed the Utah Department of Health that it would not take action on Utah's small-scale Medicaid expansion proposal, according to Utah Department of Health spokeswoman Kolbi Young.
"They're just going to allow the new administration to make that determination, so we're just in a holding pattern at this point," Young said Wednesday.
Utah's Medicaid expansion proposal was approved by state lawmakers last year after years of fighting, but it remains up to the federal government to approve the waiver.
Originally estimated to expand Medicaid coverage to 16,000 of Utah's most vulnerable, the estimate was later revised down to 10,000.
Medicaid expansion was a key feature of the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have vowed to repeal and replace under President-elect Donald Trump.
Related
Republican-led Senate takes 1st step to repeal 'Obamacare'
The Senate has passed a measure to take the first step forward on dismantling President Barack Obama's health care law, responding to pressure to move quickly even as Republicans and President-elect Trump grapple with what to replace it withYoung said the health department may move forward with a specific part of the proposal that would expand coverage to parents because that portion is allowable through a state plan amendment and was not specific to the Affordable Care Act.
Otherwise, she said the department is not changing anything.
"We're just somewhat delayed until the new administration is in place and can review and provide approval or denial," Young said.
Jason Stevenson of the Utah Health Policy Project said it's uncertain what will happen to Utah's Medicaid expansion proposal now.
"No one really knows what the appetite of the new administration will be for Medicaid waivers," Stevenson said.
We're just in a holding pattern at this point.
–Kolbi Young, Utah Department of Health
Trump's pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price from Georgia, has proposed doing away with Medicaid expansion entirely. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has proposed turning Medicaid into block grants, starting that process in 2019.
It will likely be several years until Republicans figure out how to roll back Obamacare, Stevenson said.
Until then, "Utah's (proposal) will still be there, waiting for consideration." Email: dchen@deseretnews.com Twitter: DaphneChen_
