State of Utah's statement on Utah's Medicaid waiver request

Statement

Gov. Gary R. Herbert, Senate President Stuart Adams, and House Speaker Brad Wilson released the following statement regarding Utah's anticipated Medicaid waiver request:

Late Friday the State of Utah received a call from the White House informing state leaders that its most recent Medicaid waiver request, which had yet to be formally submitted, would not be approved.

On April 1, 2019, phase one of S.B. 96, Medicaid Expansion Adjustments, expanded Medicaid coverage to Utahns living within 0-100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), funded at a 70/30 federal/state match rate. Those living between 100-138 percent of the FPL are currently covered through the exchange. The waiver in question represented phase two of the four phase process set in motion by S.B. 96 and would have transitioned funding to an enhanced 90/10 federal/state match rate.

While we are deeply disappointed by this latest development, we would like to reassure Utahns currently relying on Medicaid under the new expansion that they are still covered under the expansion that was activated on April 1, 2019. S.B. 96 funded medical coverage through June 30, 2020. We contemplated possible scenarios like this one, and S.B. 96 ensures the program moves forward as we navigate the complicated federal rules and regulations involved in Medicaid.

We will continue to work closely with the Administration to ensure that Medicaid expansion is carried out in a way that provides coverage for Utahns in need without creating an unsustainable financial burden on Utah taxpayers.

We remain committed to working together to find solutions to Medicaid expansion under the process set forth in S.B. 96. In the coming days and weeks, the governor and legislature will work in close partnership to evaluate the current situation to ensure Utah continues to provide a Medicaid program with long-term fiscal sustainability. We will share information with the public as new developments unfold.

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