Medicaid funding not keeping up with demand

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(KSL News) Demand on Utah's Medicaid program is escalating by the day, but the money to keep up with it isn't there.

The Utah Department of Health says the number of people qualifying for Medicaid is expected to grow by nearly 20,000 people by the end of this year. To care for the extra patients, the department needs an additional $14 million in funding.

Program directors are hoping that cash is part of the state's 2009 budget. If it's not, the department says it will have to make cuts where it legally can.