Utah Medicaid Expansion work requirements

Allen Christensen a representative from North Ogden Utah is officially the "grinch who is trying to steal healthcare aware from Utahns".   He is suggesting bringing back Work Requirements that don't work and Arkansas is recent proof of that. Christensen is also trying to add annual and lifetime caps, and although the language and exacts haven't been shown to the Utah public yet it is safe to assume it will be similar to Robert Spendlove's "Sandy Utah Representatives" hack bill of Medicaid expansion.

Allen Christensen Medicaid Expansion Grinch

A couple Key issues:

-Work requirements serve as only a barrier to accessing healthcare. You also have to wait on the federal governments approval via CMS which could take a long time to approve, which could cause major delays in coverage and implementing medicaid services. -PATIENTS LOSE!

- Annual caps is a fancy term for block grants for people on medicaid. -Don't have anything catastrophic happen or you'll be capped.

-Lifetime limits. Robert Spendloves bill in the Utah Legislative session during 2018 capped these benefits after 60 months. LIFETIME, meaning once you use 60 months of medicaid during your lifetime you are done with the program for life.

- Allen Christensen's bill will make you sign up for medicaid through the SSN and unemployment office. If you have ever applied for SSN benefits or unemployment in Utah then you would know that 99% get denied automatically on their first request here. Not to mention this type of behavior creates waiting lists and valuable missed coverage time for individuals needing healthcare.

-Removing retro active eligibility- meaning during the wait period you can't back track coverage or get it paid for.


Again this is going off early talks of what Allen Christensen wants through a news media outlet.  He won't show the full language of the bill due to public backlash. Keep in mind last years behavior with Robert Spendloves bill out Sandy Utah during the Utah Legislative session to get an idea, they will be hacking up prop 3 which passed recently with over 50% in Utah.

They will take the axe to the proposition 3 like they are going to do to proposition 4 in the near future and already have with proposition 2 and medical marijuana.

We have to hold these legislators accountable! Allen Christensen is the grinch stealing medicaid and healthcare access. Robert Spendlove has passed the torch to his buddy who isn't seeking re election after this and it's hard to believe that this isn't the reason. His legacy will be creating barriers, restricting medicaid expansion and healthcare should he continue pushing this bill.

Give Allen Christensen and email and tell him not add work requirements, block grants and caps to prop there or medicaid expansion achristensen@le.utah.gov

Ryan Scott Jensen
Chair of the Democratic Health Care Caucus
Healthcare Advocate
Coach
Concerned Citizen