SALT LAKE CITY — The voices that continue to be the loudest about Medicaid expansion are the same that have been left out of the current proposal in Utah.
State officials are taking note of them, but they’re also looking to refine the proposal that will be sent to the federal government July 1.
“I’ve struggled with chronic homelessness in the past, and I’m struggling with mental health and substance use disorder,” Dan Davidson, a 48-year-old recovering addict, said during a public hearing on the proposed expansion on Thursday.
Davidson works as a certified peer support specialist for others finding themselves in the same positions he’s been in, but even his own situation is volatile.
He needs access to a variety of costly, doctor-prescribed medications each month to keep him stable enough to maintain his part-time job and the self-sufficiency he’s worked hard to achieve.
But Davidson doesn’t have insurance, and he doesn’t fit into any of the narrowly crafted descriptions that would make him eligible for it.
The number of Utahns who might be served with an extension of benefits approved by the Legislature after years of discussion has also dwindled from what was previously proposed. Around 10,000 to 11,000 Utahns fit
Article source: https://health.einnews.com/article/327019016/3FfBXzPkqnkL6RBd?ref=rss&ecode=uiQ1mLaH2KVPSS4e