Utah Medicaid Expansion is now Open!

Utah Medicaid Expansion now open


Although it's not Prop 3 as Utah voters passed in November 2018, it's something. It's a start.




Also here is the Spanish Version for medicaid Expansion in Utah.


This is the first Waiver approved by CMS for Utah in regards to skinny medicaid expansion. OR the Bridge Plan as Utah Advocates have "dubbed" it.

70,000 Utahns now have access to medicaid.


In other news Attorney General Sean Reyes is still involved in dismantling the ACA. Which would wipe pre existing condition protections to 293,000 UTAHNS. This is unacceptable behavior from our Attorney General. Please write a letter to him do drop off the frivolous lawsuit.

Letter to Utah Governor Herbert urging a on Veto Nuclear waste amendments

Our Utah State Democratic Healthcare Caucus wrote a letter to Governor Gary Herbert.   I Ryan Scott Jensen Chair the Healthcare Caucus. Our letter is as follows:

Dear Governor Herbert

We represent the Utah Democratic Health Care Caucus. While our caucus was formed under the umbrella of the Utah Democratic Party our membership includes conservative and unaffiliated voters who have a concern about health matters that effect Utahns and the nation. We have approximately 575 members who follow our Facebook page and caucus meetings.

We urgently request that you veto H.B. 220 Radioactive Waste Amendments. 

In 2005 Utah banned the importation of class B and class C wastes and in 2010, out of concern for safety, you suspended shipments to the state. 

What has changed the equation? In 2005 we had 2.5 million residents. By 2020 we will likely have 3.5 million. Is it the $150,000 in political contributions in 2018 that Energy Solutions made to Utah officeholders?

The International Nuclear Workers (INWORKS) studied deaths due to leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma in French, British and American nuclear workers who were exposed to ionizing radiation at work. There was significant evidence of a positive association between ionizing radiation exposure and death from leukemia among more than 300,000 nuclear workers.

Leukemia is generally treated with a bone marrow transplant. The average cost of an allogeneic bone marrow transplant in the United States is around $800,000, while an autologous transplant will cost around $350,000. These patients, if they survive, are still left with challenging side effects from the treatment. 

In a Deseret News article in October 2018, Don Verbica, with the radiation control division, said he didn't believe previous assessments done at the Clive facility addressed the risks posed by depleted uranium metal. He was quoted, “They have to demonstrate that (disposal of the material) will not result in an undue hazard to public health, safety and the environment.” Verbica added that depleted uranium metal is chemically unstable, relatively mobile and pyrophoric, or able to ignite spontaneously. The staff's presentation showed a corroded depleted uranium munition after three years to underscore what they assert is the specific unsafe nature of the radioactive material.

In addition, geologist Stephen T. Nelson and climatologist Summer B. Rupper, both of Brigham Young University, and Kansas State University geologist Charles G. Oviatt, say it is "absurd" for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deem depleted uranium safe for surface disposal. All three scientists are experts in the geological history of Lake Bonneville, that has periodically covered parts of three states in the past 30,000 years.

“The uranium enrichment waste gets increasingly hazardous for a million years, and that's too long to reasonably ensure the safety of any shallow landfills, especially one like the Tooele County site that is underwater a few hundred of every several thousand years. Those wet cycles could spread long-lived radioactive material throughout the Great Salt Lake basin, the scientists say.” (The Salt Lake Tribune Nov. 7, 2009)

Please do the right thing for current and future residents of our state and veto this bill.

Utah Democratic Health Care Caucus Board

Chairman Ryan Jensen, small business owner

Secretary Karina Andelin Brown, BS, MS (former legislative candidate)

Whitney Duhaime, small business owner

June H. Taylor, PhD, retired

Christine Helfrich, BS, CCRP, retired

Joni Bycroft, BS, MS, retired

Joe Bycroft, IBEW president, retired

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

Utah Medicaid work Mandate

Wow,  it's been for ever since I have written a blog or post on this page.  I have since my saga of former business ownership gotten into healthcare and healthcare advocacy. Here is a recent Op-Ed I did that was published on Utah Policy.    Read the Op-Ed for the most recent updates on Utah's pending 1115 Medicaid work mandate.   Hopefully it will provide you will some relevant healthcare news here in Utah.

Ryan Scott Jensen

Scott Howell For Mayor

I think Scott Howell would be a fabulous pick for Millcreek City Utah Mayor. He has the experience the new township will need in it's new transition. I look forward to hearing Scott Howell's name more as the right person for Millcreek City Utah.

SCOTT HOWELL FOR MAYOR

Here is Scott Howell's resume. Take a look at it and tell me he isn't the right person for Millcreek City of  Utah.

Utah Republican party is a mess

I find it funny that when I approached James Evans the Utah RNC at the Utah Republican convention in April about pay day loans and his involvement with them, that he completely ignored my questions. I thought originally it was because I was registered as a democratic delegate but figured out it's because he owns a few pay day loans through Check Line and other hidden llc's.

James Evans Utah RNC ties to pay day loan industry 

There is a news article that states Google is kicking Pay Day loan lenders Utah and their advertisements to the curb. I thought more about this article and it reminded me of my conversation with James Evan of the UTAH RNC and it just reminded me of the complete lack of transparency by Utah legislators. It also reminded me of the silly non productive conversation we had at the convention and reminded me fully why you wouldn't respond to my questions with the Deseret New reporter present. Glad someone with more money than the Deseret News is finally standing up to a shady industry.

John Swallow a patsy?

I am so sick of Utah. I am sick of Utah in more than one way that's for sure. I mean  Utah does have it's perks it absolutely does! But I think it has far more dirt hidden behind the scenes and more bull shit than the average person thinks or understands around here.

The political spectrum is just flat out embarrassing. You have Old Attorney Generals that got into trouble, you have a new Attorney General Sean Reyes doing the same shit as the old ones and protecting his buddies. The Attorney General isn't the only one covering up for his friends. Plenty of State Senators/Legislators involved to make these very complex plans work, so sadly nothing is going to change here... We as Utahans allow these same degenerative people run a muck. They have all the power in the world without ANY repercussions.

We all bitch and cry but do nothing to change things. I myself have been punished by the state of Utah, sure for my "crimes" of telemarketing which didn't occur with any fraud. I simply wouldn't pay to play with Francine Gianni and the consumer protections agency. Therefore she sicked her dog pound on me-The Attorney Generals office. I am sick of being quiet and getting ran over by the State of UTAH. THINGS NEED TO CHANGE! THE PEOPLE IN POWER NEED TO CHANGE! not for me, but for our future. IF we continue to let these people deteriorate what our fore fathers put in place no one will participate or believe in this corrupt government system and anarchy will take place.

A total of 57 people have served either the Territory or State of Utah: 14 in the Senate, 41 in the House, and 2 in both houses. The average term for senators has been 15.3 years and the average term for representatives has been 6.7 years. The longest-serving senator is Orrin Hatch, in office since 1977. The longest-serving representative is James V. Hansen, in office for 22 years from 1981 to 2003. Four women have been members of Utah's congressional delegation, Reva Beck Bosone, Karen Shepherd, Enid Greeneand Mia Love, all as representatives. 

The oversight in the governors office is broken  The Division of consumer protection has no boundaries or limits, Francince Gianni can sit on her high horse and pick winners and losers. WE allow unlimited campaign contributions,  we don't have term limits on senate seats, we allow these people to take power and run wild with it. We have to remove the BIG Money in Politics if we want to clean anything up or better the politico world. But the Utahan Republicans won't allow this to happen. It will cripple them, it will hurt their bottom lines.

The real sad thing about this is if you  have friends in high places here in Utah you won't have any issues doing whatever the hell you want to do. Nobody will stop you if you pay to play, especially the state because most of them get paid off through contributions, or side deals with their "carriage business's" or however else they can manipulate the rules to benefit like their SUPER PACS. It's sad, I personally have dealt with Senators, lobbyists, Francine Gianni and others that act so down right rude with their noses in the air as if they haven't done anything wrong their whole life. They act untouchable. ONE day I can't wait for them to get knocked right off their high horses on their asses.

They feed off each other like piranha's, they suck all the money out of business's and everday people of Utah. They get their greedy paws on anything they can get from land, to stocks, special UTA deals, special bids, to payouts under the table. It's gross and disgusting. You can't trust the government, you can't trust the FBI, you can't trust the very people in power that are here supposedly protecting citizens! ESPECIALLY people in power in  this long like most of the people in  Utah which they all seem to have en rooted themselves here and feast off of the blind people of Utah.

You have a governor of Utah who won a special election and was specially appointed by his own political party, whom has no term, just automatically got to serve a full term by default. WE could have held a special election that people got to vote and make their voices heard,  instead Republicans let their friends in power appoint another friend to continue their death grip on the citizens of Utah. The whole process is sickening. The older I get and the more I experience I get with things, on executive, legislative, and judicial levels, the more they seem broken and tweaked towards those in power.

Even the papers here are ran by powerful lobbyists like Alan Dayton, the LDS chruch and others  they call them "paper boys" it's how they earn their living. Obviously being on the board of IHC lobbyists doesn't hurt your salary or being apart of a billion dollar church but if the paper publishes certain things that hurts them directly or their companies even these special interest groups that are heavily reliant on lobbyists "paper boys" such as Dayton himself they will manipulate the press and threaten them to turn the story to their liking. CENSORSHIP at it's finest, but everyone turns the blind eye because they already have so much power and it's hard to fight them and they feel nothing can be done.

So I have decided to write about it, express myself on how corrupt the STATE OF UTAH and it's officials really are. They're afraid to let the voting process change because they like having control. This needs to change on many levels! It's time to clean house of any long standing poor politician who is doing nothing for UTAH other than corrupting the process! YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE! FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAILS. They aren't as sneaky as you think. Look at John Swallow for example, unfortunately he was the pastie for everyone else.  You have to have way more than just an attorney General involved to have that type of political game plan in play.

For example,  A house investigation that was induced into John Swallow. I was interviewed and discussed the problem wasn't only with  John but with other political involved individuals too which included a State Senator Steve Urquhart, a lobbyist Alan Dayton and Francine Gianni among others.

You can see the power they have as they halted the further investigation by the house because their buddies were on the panel of the investigation,.

E. Other Issues Considered by the Committee In addition to the above issues, the Committee notes the following areas of investigation that it briefly pursued:

1. The Committee received allegations that Mr. Swallow may have shown favoritism in attempting to assist an organization headed by the associate of a campaign donor.The Committee reviewed relevant emails and interviewed several witnesses to examine the allegations. The Committee determined there was no evidence to support the allegation that Mr.Swallow provided any substantial benefit to the organization at issue.
                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                    

2. Media reports indicated that a telemarking business executive spoke with Mr.Swallow by phone in April 2012, after the executive, his partner and others were fined $400,000by DCP for operating a company that was not properly bonded or licensed. During this call,which was taped and later made public, Mr. Swallow offered to have Mr. Shurtleff or others in 197the Office meet with the executive to “see if there’s something that can be done to get [the fine]worked out.” The executive and his partner informed the Committee that, before the call, theyhad arranged for a deal through a lobbyist in which they would pay at least $8,000 to thelobbyist, who said that through political connections—including Mr. Swallow—he could makethe fine “go away.” The Committee did not corroborate Mr. Swallow’s involvement in theproposed arrangement with the lobbyist.  Page-204 of 214. Of course they slide it in the end and remove all the details to keep this quiet.

                                                   

                                                     
                                                        

                                                     
                                                     

SO they picked and chose who they wanted to burn. I tried to throw out a few folks as I have had emails, texts, and other communication proving more people should be burned at the stake other than Just John Swallow. You can see the response on the investigation and that it was never properly followed because of friends in high places Like Francine Gianni and the Governor. This information was also given to the FBI office in Utah-specifically handed to Scott Nesbitt and Federal Agent Jon Isakson in person with nothing being done or followed up on.


Lets go back to a Salt Lake Tribune Article from 2011 just for one instance of many that I can reference you to. You can clearly see if you pay to friendly's, you will be accepted, cared for and looked out after by the those politicians you pay for, this happens every year and will continue down this slippery slope  unless UTAHANS decide to stand up, vote and get all the corrupt old timers out of politics with their pac money and money war chests. It's quite clear from the text messages above that you have to pay certain people to even be heard for a cry of help to the State. They don't care about anything unless you pay them!

It's super sad, I even went to the State of Utah Bar association and complained against Steve Urquhart and Alan Dayton but of course their buddies didn't even acknowledge the complaint. I did hear back from Steve Urquhart as he returned the money I originally sent to ALAN DAYTON. It's just sad I  had to go to such extreme levels to show the corruption in the Utah Government, from The Governor's head on down we have problems with honesty, morals, ethics and leading the people of Utah.

Veterans Day

I appreciate all the veterans that have served this country! We truly under appreciate our armed forces and the protection they give our families. Veterans of old war and modern war we appreciate you! This country simply wouldn't be where it is today with it's advancements without your  service.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

LDS change policy handbook... IS that really a revelation from god though?

There Recently has been multiple reports and many different feelings on the LDS church's new stance on how they view LGTB families and community.

Many members and non members are outraged, it seems this is a very divided subject and topic.

What I am sick of hearing is how the LDS church is justifying their actions with another justification.   I find it disturbing that the LDS church would have to come out with another "insight" or expand on their justification on why they feel this way.

To me it's simple, you spoke and told us how you felt, you changed your company handbook or policy booklet to adapt to the times and are discriminating people. That to me isn't revelation by god, that's man changing his perspective on a view or stance and telling people to follow blindly.

It's fine if you don't want gays, or blacks "in the 80's" or sinners in your church, you finally have spoken and said the truth on how you feel. You don't want LGTB's in your religion. IT's obvious from the money you spent politically fighting gay marriage laws in california, utah and other states which didn't work out for the Church and now the LDS church has had a REVELATION, ironically after they lose the same sex battle on a political and supreme court level they have to reiterate their hate for LGTB's.

Why should children not be allowed to have god in their life?  Even if their place of home isn't ideal for the LDS churches standard? If any person wants god in their life why deny that option?

Before you spout off saying they can attend,participate and be active still..... Who in their right mind would feel comfortable coming to church knowing that everyone is against their family and parents life's? Especially when all someone wants to do in church is worship god and not be judged for lifestyle's and sins. They just want god in their life and to be accepted regardless of their circumstances at home, but the LDS church doesn't believe in that.

The fact that you have already caused family issues and family strains in the past between parents and children, which put children in difficult situations to chose between family or faith is ludicrous and beyond words.

I understand it's against the LDS principles and word of wisdom, I grew up in the religion. But if you're not willing to accept peoples backgrounds, situations and be Christ like with open arms hoping they will change and accept your word of wisdom then people are going to see right through your fake religion and be repulsed by it for the lack of compassion, understanding, love and acceptance that you refuse to show non members. Which will kill your religion, not to mention real Christians give support, love, acceptance and show this to members and non members alike.

Mormons in my opinion are forgetting the "golden rule" of life, all this new policy stuff does is produce more questions about the religion, more hate for the church, and more confusion for families and youth on both sides of the plate.

I am not saying the LDS church needs to change their views, drop their standards and just allow gays to infiltrate their religion nor that Christ needs to lower his standards. I am saying that you should  be able to be gay, straight, black, yellow or even crazy and should still be able to attend church without the scrutiny of members and apostles that are living in the 1900's era with their asinine logic.
 
People just want to find god regardless if they are a child in a LGTB family or if they are a child with inactive parents, it's all the same they want GOD SO ALLOW HIM INTO THEIR LIFE! They should be able to attend the church they chose without scrutiny, they should be able to participate in blessings, baptism's and other events to get the same spiritual feeling as others if they so desire to chose so.  Not allowing people to feel those feelings in a place of church which sole purpose of that establishment to me is discrimination and very hateful. The LDS church is ignoring the golden rule.


Changing a handbook for people to follow isn't a revelation, it's  man changing the game because he doesn't like it! I highly doubt god would only speak to one man about the gay issues we have today.  Simply changing a book that was written hundreds of years ago is not revelation, it's an update to and updated Church policy. Put in place by man for man to follow!

more contribution ties for former attorney's Swallow and Shurtleff

Seems City Weekly's Eric Peterson Has yet found another trailing and disgusting trail that involves money, cover up and public distrust from the Former Attorney Generals of Utah.


http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-77-19090-bad-timing.html