Utah's Medicaid expansion decision on hold

Aug 26 2013

Medicaid news from Utah and Ohio.

The Salt Lake Tribune: Gov: Utah Won't Decide On Medicaid Expansion Until 2014
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he will not make a decision until next year about whether to expand Medicaid to cover more of the state's uninsured. ... "I assure you, I am not going to be rushed in this," Herbert said at his monthly news conference at KUED. The governor said he intends to make his decision "in conjunction with the Legislature. They convene in January 2014. That's when I'm going to make the decision" (Gehrke and Dobner, 8/22).

Columbus Dispatch: Republican Legislator Proposes New Cuts To Medicaid
Thousands of poor pregnant women, parents and disabled workers would lose tax-funded health coverage under a Cincinnati-area Republican's proposal to slash Medicaid eligibility. ... [State Rep. John Becker's]  soon-to-be-introduced legislation seeks to reduce Ohio's Medicaid rolls as Gov. John Kasich pushes lawmakers to expand the program to reduce the number of uninsured and accept billions in federal aid. ... Ohio's Medicaid program currently provides coverage to 2.2 million poor and disabled residents (Candisky, 8/23).

Related, earlier KHN story: Amid Health Law Expansion, Some States Trim Medicaid Rolls (Galewitz, 8/18).