Utah GOP Legislature: While Medicaid Debate Drags On, Utahns Are Dying

Utah legislative Death Panels, anyone?

As the Utah GOP "Gang of Six" keeps on dithering about Utah Medicaid expansion, we'll shine the spotlight on two kick-ass Northern Utah media articles which truly highlight the sheer heartless sleaziness of the Utah GOP majority, who rule our Utah State legislature with a Cruel Iron Hand:

Both the The Trib and Utah Policy carry compelling stories, illustrating how at least one Utahn died, due to the Utah GOP's crackpot opposition to the incorporating of AFA provisions into Utah Medicaid law:

• While Medicaid debate drags on, Utahns are dying - Tribune
• Medicaid Expansion Debate Hits Home for Hughes -Utah Policy

There have been many more unnecessary deaths, of course.

Utah Legislative Death Panels, anyone? Check out the current Utah Gummint death panel photo image, which we've embedded above.

Dabakis Factor: After Tap Dancing for 2 Years, Just Take Medicaid Expansion!

Ahem! We've embedded the within contact links for the obvious reason

Top notch morning op-ed piece via Utah State Senator James Dabakis, publisher of the "The Dabakis Factor":

The Supreme Court has decided - it's the law of the land.
Utah, quit stalling. Take full Medicaid Expansion. 'The Gang of Six' Republicans (Gov Herbert, Lt. Gov Cox, Senate President Niederhauser, House Speaker Hughes, Senator Shiozawa and Rep Dunnigan) are deciding who will live and who will die. They are negotiating on whether the state should accept Medicaid Expansion--or not. They are taking their sweet time. The Medicaid Expansion decision is the biggest single issue to face the state in a generation and our state seems paralyzed, unable to make a decision.
The reason this is taking so long is not because this is a tough call. 73% of Utahns agree--Utah should take the Expansion. But the politics are tricky. The right wing of the Utah GOP is adamant--NO to Obama healthcare for low income folks. So the conundrum --do what's right and alienate the most active part of the Utah GOP or stall and delay. So far delay is winning.
Red states like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada have taken the health coverage. Utah is irresponsible to not take this paid-for health care for our low-income neighbors. These are families that simply cannot get insurance at the marketplace. Please 'Gang of Six', get some urgency in your snap--pretend that 123,000 low-income Utahns' lives may be depending your decision---because it's true. Pretend it is your family that does not have health care.
'Gang of Six', can't we speed this up? [Contact links added].

Read up:

• After Tap Dancing for 2 Years, Just Take Medicaid Expansion!

"This is $747,000,000 a year flowing to Utah low-income families by 2021. Talk about economic development! Dithering has already cost Utah $350 million in 2014 and $374 million in 2015. Plus, even if the 'Gang' finally hammers out a 'Utah Plan' and the legislature and the Utah TeaPeople allow the plan to go forward, that Utah Plan would still has to go to DC for approval. That could take years (thanks Obama!). Yet, Full Medicaid is already approved and funded," Senator Dabakis adds.

Ahem! We've embedded the above contact links for the obvious reason.

You know what to do, WCF Readers.  Do it on the internet.

Deseret News: Meetings to Resolve Medicaid Expansion Will be Closed, Governor's Office Says - Updated

If the Governor and the State Legislature are intent upon conducting these negotiations behind closed doors, somebody must have something sinister to hide

As a followup to our coverage of the 2015 Utah Legislative Medicaid expansion fiasco, we'll present this tidbit and link, obtained via Utah State Senator James Dabakis:

So 126,000 low income Utah families will now wait nervously outside the locked door as life and death decisions are being made for their families lives. 'The horse trading' by the same 6 people who could not agree for 2 years, all Republican, all making at least 100K a year, all totally state insurance covered, all males---will do the 'negotiating' BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. Congrats gentleman, the stalling has already cost low income Utahns at least $700 million dollars in paid-for health care coverage! Oh the high price our state pays to keep a few TeaPeople delegates satiated!

Read the disheartening full story folks:

• Meetings to resolve Medicaid expansion will be closed, governor's office says

Whatever happened to Utah's Open Meetings Law, we ask?

Beware of "secret combinations," Utah Lumpencitizens.

Our take?  If the Governor and the State Legislature are intent upon conducting these negotiations behind closed doors, somebody must have something sinister to hide.

Update 3/28/15 9:35 a.m.:  Via the Standard-Examiner, here comes the blowback, folks:

• Utah leaders criticized for closed-door Medicaid talks

“... I think the intent is to be open and transparent on this issue,” says Governor Herbert, (with a completely straight face).

Friday Morning 2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup

Lawmakers can't come to an agreement on Medicaid expansion. Legislators approve a gas tax hike. Public schools end the 2015 session as big winners

Via Utah Policy, and upon last night's conclusion of the 2015 Utah regular legislative session, here are this morning's "top ten headlines," folks:

• Lawmakers are unable to come to an agreement on Medicaid expansion. Gov. Gary Herbert announces they will continue working on the issue and sets a July 31 deadline to come up with a plan [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News].
• Gov. Herbert recaps the 2015 session with us and discusses what legislation he's eyeing for a veto [Utah Policy].
• Lawmakers get a hike in the gas tax through the legislature just under the wire [Tribune].
• Public schools end the session with more than $500 million in new money [Deseret News].
• Here are some of the minor budget items lawmakers spent taxpayer money on this year [Utah Policy].
• A bill requiring the full legislature to sign off on relocating the state prison wins final approval and heads to the governor [Deseret News].
• Legislators are unable to find common ground on school board elections, leaving how candidates are nominated in limbo [Tribune].
• Lawmakers approve a pay raise for the governor and other executive offices [Deseret News, Tribune].
• Gov. Herbert signs the non-discrimination bill during a packed ceremony at the Capitol [Tribune, Deseret News].
• Minority report. Rep. Brian King wraps up the 2015 from the perspective of Utah's minority party [Utah Policy].

Don't let the cat get your tongues...

Thursday Morning 2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup

Via Utah Policy, and with the 2015 Utah legislative session set to wrap up at midnight tonight, here are this morning's "top ten headlines," folks:

• With less than 24 hours to go in the legislative session, lawmakers are still at an impasse on Medicaid expansion [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
• Utahns overwhelmingly back a shift in Utah's criminal justice system focusing that's focused on treatment over incarceration [Utah Policy].
• The Utah Senate hijacks a House bill calling for non-partisan school board elections, swapping it out with a plan for partisan elections [Tribune, Deseret News].
• Lawmakers are still trying to come to an accord over a gas tax hike [Deseret News].
• The Legislature gives final passage to historic non-discrimination legislation that includes protections for religious liberties [Tribune].
• The House gives final approval to legislation allowing government workers to opt out of performing same-sex marriages [Tribune].
• The public is split on whether police should be able to pull over drivers because they're not wearing a seat belt, but they're solidly behind a plan to ban drivers from making calls behind the wheel unless it's hands-free [Utah Policy].
• A bill to equalize tax revenue among school districts barely passes the Utah House and now heads to the governor [Tribune].
• Lawmakers send a bill making game fowl fighting a felony to the governor [Deseret News, Tribune].
• Former Governor Jon Huntsman joins Sen. Mike Lee's re-election campaign [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News].

Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones...

Wednesday Morning 2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup

Via Utah Policy, and with two days remaing in in the 2015 Utah legislative session, here are this morning's "top ten headlines," folks:

• It certainly seems like legislators are on the road to doing nothing on Medicaid expansion during the 2015 session [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
• There are still a number of big issues left in the final two days of the 2015 session [Tribune].
• The non-discrimination/religious liberties bill has one more hurdle to clear after a House committee sends it to the full House for consideration [Tribune, Deseret News].
• A new poll shows a sharp divide in Utah on the issue of religious freedoms [Utah Policy].
• Another survey finds a majority of Utahns oppose moving the prison from Draper. Those results are consistent with a similar poll conducted in December. Surprisingly, Utah's Democrats seem to be changing their mind on the issue  [Utah Policy].
• A measure providing for non-partisan school board elections takes another step forward on the Hill after a Senate committee gives it the thumbs up [Utah Policy,Tribune, Deseret News].
• Lawmakers send a bill allowing police officers to pull over motorists for not wearing a seatbelt to the governor's desk [Deseret News, Tribune].
• The Senate gives final passage to a measure restoring the firing squad as a backup plan for executions if the chemicals for lethal injections are unavailable [Tribune, Deseret News, ABC 4].
• Legislators ask for $500,000 to study how a transfer of public lands to state control could benefit Utah's public schools [Tribune].
• The public tends to side with Gov. Gary Herbert when there's a conflict between him and the legislature according to a new survey [Utah Policy].

The world wide web awaits your ever-savvy comments, folks.

Tuesday Morning 2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup

Via Utah Policy, and with three days remaing in in the 2015 Utah legislative session, here are this morning's "top eleven headlines," folks:

• Educators pack the Capitol to rally for more education funding, but it's not clear if it had any effect on lawmakers [Tribune, Deseret News].
• The medical marijuana bill falls by one vote in the Utah Senate [Tribune, Deseret News]. A poll shows 66% of Utahns would support legalizing medical cannabis [Utah Policy].
• Time is running out for the House and Senate to come to a compromise on Medicaid expansion [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
• The Utah House changes the rules after Democrats force a vote on Healthy Utah [Tribune].
• Utahns overwhelmingly support a hike in the gasoline tax [Utah Policy]. Lawmakers advance two competing plans to raise gasoline taxes [Deseret News].
• A proposal to send primary election results back to the parties if no candidate gets above 40% squeaks through the House [Tribune, Deseret News]. 
• Lawmakers may be mulling changing the plan to include instant runoff voting [Utah Policy].
• Most Utahns support proposed "right to die" legislation [Utah Policy].
• The Utah House rejects legislation allowing car manufacturers from owning a dealership in Utah. That means plans for a dealership in Utah are now very much in doubt [Tribune].
• Utah Senators kill an attempt to increase fines for air quality violations [Tribune].
• The Utah House unanimously approves legislation that could strip former Attorney General John Swallow's state pension [Tribune].

Don't let the cat get your tongues...

Standard-Examiner: Our View: Alternative Health Care Plan Is No Plan

Yes. These part-time legislative Republicans have their own plush, taxpayer funded health insurance. Why should they give a damn about the health care needs of the rest of us, we ask? 

Humdinger of an editorial from the Standard-Examiner this morning, concerning the 2015 Utah Legislature's ongoing Medicaid expansion fiasco. Here's the lede, folks:

It wouldn’t be the Utah Legislature if we didn’t head into the final week of the legislative session without a big ol’ mess on our hands.
That is exactly what we have with the governor’s “Healthy Utah” plan versus the alternative “Utah Cares” plan.
Last week House lawmakers rejected Gov. Gary Herbert’s Medicaid expansion plan in order for GOP lawmakers to push their own proposal to help the state’s poor get health insurance. Friday the House voted 56 to 18 to send the alternative plan to the Senate for consideration. Earlier in the week the business and labor committee voted s 4-9 against the governor’s plan and 9-4 in favor of the alternative plan. We were disappointed Ogden Rep. Dixon Pitcher, who serves on the panel, was absent from that vote. We learned later, though, he was out of town attending his daughter’ wedding, so we’ll give him a pass. We were pleased that Huntsville Rep. Gage Froerer voted in favor of the Healthy Utah plan. Both representatives have told us and constituents they favored the governor’s plan.
The alternative plan actually covers fewer needy people and costs more over a two-year period than the governor’s Healthy Utah plan. The fact the House is even considering such an option makes no sense.

Read the full editorial, peeps:

• Our View: Alternative health care plan is no plan

Added bonus from yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune. Compare the features of the State Legislature's own "Cadillac" health care coverage, to the bare bones coverage to the stripped down "Utah Cares,"  which Republican Utah House legislators favor for the most economically disadvantaged Utah Lumpenfolke:

• Utah lawmakers get premium state health care while debating what to give the poor

Here's the "money quote":

The health care coverage that many low-income Utahns would get under the plan advanced by the House on Friday may be the insurance equivalent of a Yugo, sponsor Majority Leader Jim Dunnigan acknowledged. "But it still drives," the Taylorsville Republican said (with a completely sraight face), arguing for his HB446, Utah Cares, before a House committee.

Yes. Our part-time legislative Republicans have their own plush, taxpayer funded health insurance. Why should they give a damn about the health care needs of the rest of us, we ask?

Salt Lake Tribune: Dems Force Healthy Utah Vote in House, igniting Fight with GOP

Read the House vote tally "scoreboard," and weep, O Gentle Ones!

Following up on our recent stories concerning Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah Medicaid expansion plan, which is still suffering stubborn leadership opposition in the Utah House of Representatives, we'll shine the spotlight on yesterday's "gutsy" Democratic Party members'  parliamentary procedural maneuver, which forced a "mini" House show of hands, concerning the question of bringing Healthy Utah up for a full House floor debate and vote.

Here's the lede, peeps:

House Democrats made a bold but unsuccessful move Thursday night to revive Gov. Gary Herbert's "Healthy Utah" plan to expand Medicaid for the poor — and ignited a small war with infuriated House Republicans.
While the attempt failed, Democrats did manage to get a recorded vote that put all House members on the record as essentially a friend or foe of Healthy Utah. The attempt died 16-56.

Read the full story, folks:

• Dems force Healthy Utah vote in House, igniting fight with GOP

Sadly, yesterday's vote tally does not yet appear on the Utah Legislative website.  Thanks to Utah House Representative Mark Wheatley, however, we've grabbed from his twitter feed a photo of yesterday's House vote tally "scoreboard," which clearly shows (for the record)  how each individual Utah House Rep voted, on the narrow question of whether the Governor's Healthy Utah Plan should be brought to the House floor, for discussion, at least:

While House Speaker Hughes has been fighting like a badger, to prevent individual House members from "going on the record" regarding SB164, Senator Shiozawa's Healthy Utah bill, we invite all interested WCF readers to examine this photo, and determine your own House Representative's "true colors," with respect to this bill, which is arguably the most important legislation which has arisen in the Utah Legislature in years.

Read 'em and weep, Healthy Utah proponents. And be sure to write it down so you don't forget it WCF political wonks, inasmuch as reliable sources inform us that we have a new  Utah general election coming up in November 2016.

Added Bonus:  Via the Trib's Pat Bagley:

Don't let the cat get your tongues...

Panel Rejects Healthy Utah; Opts for Chintzy House Alternative, "Utah Cares" - Updated

"This issue is not over," SB 164 sponsor Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, told reporters

There's bad news for advocates of Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah Medicaid expansion plan, as Northern Utah media outlets report that "a Utah House committee killed Healthy Utah while approving the more [chintzy] Medicaid plan dubbed Utah Cares":

• Panel rejects Healthy Utah; opts for House alternative, Utah Cares - Tribune
• Gov. Gary Herbert's Healthy Utah plan fails in House committee - Deseret News
• Healthy Utah Falls in House Committee -Utah Policy
• House Rejects Healthy Utah in Favor of Scaled Back House Plan - Utah Political capitol

Here's the list of House committee members, folks, along with the tally of their votes:

House Business and Labor Committee
3/4/2015 6:00:00 PM - 30 House Building
House Comm - Motion to Recommend Failed
SB0164S01 - Access to Health Care Amendments
Yeas - 4
Duckworth, S.
Froerer, G.
King, Brad
Webb, R. C.
Nays - 9
Anderegg, J.
Cox, J.
Dunnigan, J.
Knotwell, J.
Peterson, V.
Roberts, M.
Schultz, M.
Stanard, J.
Wilson, B.
Absent - 1
Pitcher, D.. 

A Weber County Tip of the Hat to Weber County. Leg 8 House Rep. Gage Froerer, for bucking House leadership pressure, and voting to do the right thing. A pox on Weber County Leg. 10 House Rep. Dixon Pitcher, who'd assured his constituents he'd support Healthy Utah, and then ducked out of the committee vote.

"This issue is not over," bill sponsor Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, told reporters after the House Business and Labor Committee voted down by a 4-9 margin an attempt to send SB164, which has already passed the Senate, to the full House.

Time's runnin' short, O Gentle Ones. To Senator Shiozawa, we say "Godspeed." If there's any single bill that deserves a full House floor debate and vote... this is it, folks.

Update 3/5/15 10:55 a.m.:  For those citizen-activists among us here's an event which you might wanna attend:

Here are the full details, folks:

• LEAGUE MEMBERS ACTION ALERT!

Can't hurt; might help...

Wednesday Morning 2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup

Teachers rally at the Capitol for more education funding. Medical marijuana legislation narrowly dies in the Senate. Lawmakers still looking for a compromise on Medicaid expansion.

Via Utah Policy, here are this morning's "top ten headlines," folks:

• The House will hold a committee meeting on Healthy Utah and their competing Medicaid expansion plan Wednesday night [Deseret News, Tribune].
• Gov. Gary Herbert says he's not yet sold on a compromise over Healthy Utah [Utah Policy].
• The Utah Senate sends the medical marijuana bill for a final vote in their body [Tribune, Deseret News].
• A proposed overhaul of Utah's criminal justice system passes the Utah House and heads to the Senate [Tribune, Deseret News].
• Legislators are trying to find common ground on raising Utah's gas tax to increase funding for roads [Utah Policy, Deseret News].
• The Utah House kills an attempt by Rep. Brian King to set limits on campaign donations [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News].
• A Senate panel advances a "constitutional carry" gun bill that's identical to one vetoed by Gov. Herbert in 2013. Herbert says he would veto the bill again if it gets to his desk [Utah Policy, Tribune].
• The Senate advances two measures changing state school board elections while the House kills a proposal making those elections non-partisan [Tribune].
• A House committee approves legislation exempting some wood-burning stoves from state clean air regulations [Tribune, Deseret News].
• A new report confirms Utah is headed toward a big shortfall in transportation funding unless lawmakers do something to fix the problem [Tribune, Deseret News].

Don't let the cat get your tongues...

Breaking: Utah House Agrees To Hear Governor's Medicaid Plan

Time to put the fire to the these cold-hearted Republicans' feet

Hot off the press from the Standard-Examiner:

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Republican controlled-House of Representatives has reversed course and decided to consider Gov. Gary Herbert’s Medicaid plan, despite comments from the Republican House speaker that the measure had no support and would not be heard.
A panel that assigns bills to House committees sent Herbert’s Medicaid proposal and a House alternative forward on Tuesday, setting up both proposals for a hearing this week.

Read up. Peeps:

• Utah House agrees to hear governor's Medicaid plan

Join the Rally to Support the Healthy Utah Plan, which would provide affordable health insurance to 126,000 Utahns. Contact your crackpot Rupublican House Legislators, folks:

• Utah House of Representatives contact links

Time to put the fire to the these cold-hearted Republicans' feet, wethinks.

Breaking: Medicaid Expansion Compromise Would Unite Healthy Utah With GOP Proposal - Updated

Sure! Let's do it! What could possibly go wrong with a compromise involving Republican lawmakers?" said everyone from Count My Vote

Lawmakers are floating a possible solution to Medicaid expansion that combines Healthy Utah and "frail Utah":

An idea is being floated that could resolve a tense standoff between Gov. Gary Herbert and Republican House leaders over how — or whether — to expand Medicaid, with the idea of uniting Herbert's Healthy Utah plan and another being crafted by Rep. Jim Dunnigan.
In concept, the state would adopt Herbert's Healthy Utah plan for two years, at which point it would sunset, unless legislators decide to extend the program.
If it is not extended, the fallback would be a proposal Dunnigan is finalizing that would tap new Medicaid money and an existing state program to give the very poorest Utahns some access to health care.

Read up, folks:

• Medicaid expansion compromise would unite Healthy Utah with GOP proposal - Tribune
• House leaders counter Healthy Utah, question need for 'ceremonial' hearing on Guv's plan - Deseret News.

Witty retort from Gentle Reader Digital Bath: "Sure! Let's do it! What could possibly go wrong with a compromise involving Republican lawmakers?" said everyone from Count My Vote."

Update 3/3/15 11:30 p.m.: Humdinger of a morning Utah Medicaid expansion-topical column from Standard-Examiner journeyman editorialist Don Porter, who says, "What would Jesus do? My guess: Help the poor":

• Utah House now run by zoo monkeys

Mr. Porter has a way with words, don'tcha think?

2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup: A Frenzy of Healthy Utah Articles and Editorials

Your Utah House Reps are sitting giddily on the edges of their seats, waiting to learn what their constituents think

As a follow-up to Wednesday's tyrannical Greg Hughes's stubborn refusal to calender Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah Medicaid expansion plan for a House of Representatives debate and floor vote, Utah media engaged in a frenzy of  weekend editorial activity, urging Speaker Hughes to reconsider placing the issue before the House legislative body, once and for all.  After some extensive googling, we've got you covered, Here's your morning reading assignment, folks:

• Editorial: Not voting on Healthy Utah is secret government in action
• Editorial: Speaker Hughes is right, Utah’s health care status quo is brutal
• Speaker versus Governor: Healthy Utah or Nothing?
• House unveils counter to Healthy Utah, though with few details
• Some GOP House members disagree with blocking Healthy Utah
• With Healthy Utah stalled, lives still hang in the balance
• Gov. Herbert increases pressure on House to hear Healthy Utah
• Op-ed: Healthy Utah is what Utahns want, need and deserve
• WINWARD: Hughes' Medicaid myopia will cost all Utahns
• In our opinion: Hughes, House and Healthy Utah — governor's plan deserves debate and a vote
• Catholic bishop gives his support to governor's Healthy Utah plan
• Op-ed: Healthy Utah’s costs are small compared to enormous benefits
• A. Scott Anderson: Healthy Utah is the state's most practical solution for now

Read up, Peeps!

Please contact your own Utah House Representative, O Gentle Ones, Please demand (politely, of course)  that the House of Representatives be held accountable to the lumpencitizenry for whatever stance they may each adopt on the most important legislative issue of the 2015 session:

• Utah House of Representatives Membership Roster

Your Utah House Reps are sitting giddily on the edges of their seats, of course, waiting to learn what their constituents think.

Added bonus, via the Trib's Pat Bagley:

Breaking: Medicaid Expansion May Be Dead This Session - Updated

Tyannical House leader on Medicaid expansion: ‘We’re done’

Via Utah Policy, there's bad news for fans Utah health care reform this morning, folks, as these various Northern Utah media sources report that Governor Herbert's Health Utah medicaid expansion plan is likely dead in the water:

• The Utah Senate passes the Healthy Utah plan, but House leaders say the plan is dead [Utah Policy, Tribune, Deseret News].
• Sen. Majority Leader Ralph Okerlund says there's a good chance the 2015 session will end without lawmakers taking action on Medicaid expansion [Utah Policy].

Once again... The Trib's Pat Bagley "nails it":

Update 2/27/15 8:30 a.m.: Just like clockwork, House speaker Hughes is receiving serious blowback from our highly disappointed Governor Herbert, who's spent the past year and a half nailing down federal concessions to craft his Healthy Utah Plan:

• Gov. Herbert criticizes House decision on Medicaid plan
• Fight over Healthy Utah raises tension between Gov. Gary Herbert and House Speaker Greg Hughes
• Gov. Herbert increases pressure on House to hear Healthy Utah
• Amid disbelief, frustration, supporters of Healthy Utah try to revive plan

Tightwad Senator Allen Christensen's alternate "Frail Utah" alternative to Healthy Utah has been killed in the Senate, BTW:

• Alternative to Gov.’s Healthy Utah plan fails in Senate

Our take?  Healthy Utah ain't quite dead yet.

In that connection, here's an online petion for those WCF readers who'd like to roll up their sleeves. engage in active citizen action and throw in their own 2¢:

• Support Healthy Utah Petition

Comments, anyone?

Utah Policy Sources: Senate Has Enough Support to Pass Healthy Utah - Updated

Needless to say, Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah plan looks like a no-brainer to us

As a followup to our discussion of pending 2015 Utah Medcaid Expansion, we're delighted to refer to this morning's encouraging Utah Policy story, reporting that "Utah Senate sources say it's likely the votes are there to pass the Healthy Utah proposal when it comes up for a floor vote":

• Sources: Senate Has Enough Support to Pass Healthy Utah

With Senator Allen Christensen's laughably chintzy "Frail Utah" bill still "floating" around in the legislature, we'll be sitting on the edges of our seat, waiting to find out whether the State of Utah will still be able to reasonably lay claim to the title of "Best Managed" state in the nation:

• Op-ed: Medicaid, ‘Healthy Utah’ and ‘Frail Utah’

Via Utah Senator Jim Dabakis's highly informative Facebook page, we'll insert this great graphic to show how these competing "medicaid expansion" bills stack up, coverage-wise, at least:

Click to Enlarge Image

Needless to say, and taking the foregoing into acount, Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah plan looks like a no-brainer to us.

Update 2/20/15 8:00 a.m.: Gov. Gary Herbert has taken tax increases for his Healthy Utah alternative to Medicaid expansion off the table and cut the number of years he wants to try the program from three to two, but House Republicans still may not be sold:

• Guv cuts back Healthy Utah proposal but House still undecided on Medicaid expansion

Now, instead of being a three-year pilot program, Healthy Utah would be a "true two-year program so everyone who signs up knows it’s a two-year program going into it.," said Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox.

Via Bob Bernick: "Healthy Utah right now is a political slippery pig for House conservatives to handle. Or will it end up handling them?":

• Bob Bernick's Notebook: House GOP Struggling with Medicaid Expansion

Don't let the cat get your tongues...

Salt Lake Tribune: Senate Committee Endorses Governor’s Healthy Utah Plan

Time for our Utah legislature to "Choose the Right," wethinks

The Salt Lake Tribune this morning reports an encouraging development on the 2015 Utah legislative front:

Gov. Gary Herbert's Healthy Utah plan on Wednesday got its first good news of the legislative session: a Senate committee recommended the bill that would enact his Medicaid expansion effort.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 5-1 for SB164, proposed by Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights. It would extend health insurance to an estimated 95,000 low-income Utah adults, two-thirds of whom can't get subsidies under the Affordable Care Act or qualify for Medicaid. Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, is a member of the committee but left the room before the vote. His own bill, SB153, would extend health insurance to [only] an estimated 10,000 people who are both poor and medically frail.
"It's the first step," Shiozawa, a physician, said afterward.

Read up, folks:

• Senate committee endorses governor’s Healthy Utah Plan

"The difference in money coming back to Utah from the federal government is stark," Shiozawa said. "$3.2 billion under Healthy Utah over the first five years versus $300,000 under Christensen's SB153. By 2021, Utahns and Utah businesses will be sending more than $700 million in Affordable Care Act taxes to Washington each year, and Healthy Utah is a way to get much of it back," he said.

Down in the Tribune reader comments section, Trib reader rorybreaker hits the nail squarely on the head:

Just admit it Cons, you have a choice to do the right thing or cut off your nose to spite your face.

Yes, indeed. It's time for our Utah legislature to "Choose the Right," wethinks

2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup: State Legislature Gives Needy Utahns and Public Schools "The Shaft"

Our take? Keep keep on voting Republican, Utah Sheeple

Via Utah political heavyweight  Utah Policy, we'll highlight a few of the more important Weber County Forum-topical stories emerging during the first two weeks of the 2015 Utah legislative session:

1) Utah Republican lawmakers are "working" to come up with their own crackpot alternative to Medicaid expansion:

• Legislative Republicans Getting Closer to Their Alternative to Healthy Utah - Utah Policy
• Lawmakers, governor still far apart on Medicaid expansion - Deseret News
• Utah lawmakers to decide: Who is the neediest of the needy? - Tribune

Despite the potload of federal money that would come to Utah with full medicaid expansion, it appears that Utah GOP legislators are fully prepared to give the bulk of needy Utahns "the shaft":

2) Notwithstanding GOP Rep. Jack Draxler's thoughtful proposed tax bill to boost teacher pay and fund school technology, a legislative committee mercilessly kills this proposal to provide more money for Utah's perpetually underfunded public schools:

• Legislative committee rejects tax hike for education - Deseret News
• Lawmakers reject tax increase to fund schools - Tribune

Our take:

Keep keep on voting Republican, Utah Sheeple.

A Call for Weber County Forum Citizen Action: Sign the Support Healthy Utah Petition

Call on state legislators to act now so 89,000 Utahns who are struggling will have access to affordable health coverage

In the interest of spurring a little much-needed Weber County Forum citizen action, we'll highlight this morning's strong Salt Lake Tribune op-ed, wherein AARP Utah state director Alan Ormsby sets forth why his organization supports Governor Herbert's "Healthy Utah" mini-Medicaid expansion plan, which, despite recent Utah legislative setbacks, still remains on the table, as we approach the upcoming 2015 Utah legislative session. Here's Mr. Ormsby's "pitch," in a nutshell:

[The Governor's plan would drive] down the cost of uncompensated care by providing more Utahans with access to affordable health coverage could save the state as much as $51 million a year.
Bottom line: The Healthy Utah Plan makes smart economic sense for our state, while giving tens of thousands of hard-working Utahns the opportunity to stay healthy and build financial security.
We applaud Gov. Herbert for his tireless work to find a Utah solution to this critically important issue — and we call on state legislators to act now so 89,000 Utahns who are struggling will have access to affordable health coverage.

Check out Mr. Ormsby's full guest commentary here:

• Op-ed: Healthy Utah is especially needed for those 50 to 64

It's in this connection that we present the below-linked online petition for your consideration, folks:

• Support Healthy Utah Petition

Please sign the petition and "urge the Utah Legislature to accept Healthy Utah. Help 146,000 of our most in-need citizens get health care, create thousands of new jobs, and bring back to our state $647,700,000 each year by 2021."

Is Utah a truly compassionate state as AARP director Alan Ormsby contends?

We guess we'll soon find out.

Utah Medicaid Expansion News Roundup: It Ain't Quite Dead Yet - Updated

Our take concerning the suddenly defrocked Sutherland Institute spokesman, and  Utah's most famous BYU dropout? Go, Boys Go!

In the interest of proving that we're not "goofing off" in the news-lean aftermath of the Christmas/New Years holiday season, here are a couple of interesting and timely stories, focusing on Governor Herbert's "Healthy Utah" "Medicaid expansion plan."

This one's authored by former Sutherland Institute "mouthpiece" Paul Mero, who seems to have grown a little bit more sensible and "human," since the right wing nutcases of the Sutherland Institute "let him go,

• Healthy Utah is Not Obamacare and Conservatives Should Support It

"Conservatives might not like when government steps in to fill this gap but our philosophical dislikes do not trump nor diminish real human needs and our moral obligation (to both the needy and to freedom) to provide reasonable solutions," the miraculously newly-reformed Mr. Mero sez.

Welcome back to the "human race," Mr Mero, sez us.

Despite earlier indications that the "looniebird" Utah Legislature is intent on kicking Governor Gary'as Healthy Utah plan "to the curb" It appears the Governor Herbert hasn't yet totally given up:

• Herbert’s End Run on Medicaid Expansion

Our take concerning the defrocked Sutherland Institute spokesman, and Utah's most famous BYU dropout? Go, Boys Go!

Update 1/8/15 8:38 a.m.: Uh-oh.  It appears that Governor Herbert's "Medicaid work requirement" is "off the table," according to this morning's Standard-Examiner story:

• Feds: Utah will not get Medicaid work requirement

Perhaps it's now time for Governor Gary, to put the arm on his Republican colleagues in the Utah legislature, and talk a little "common sense":

• Study Shows the Madness of States Refusing to Expand Medicaid