Supporters of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion provision have recently stepped up public criticism of the Utah Legislature for its decision to forgo full expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare. Amazingly, they have made this criticism even as Utah’s uninsured rate has dropped by one-third, because organic, economically driven improvement seems insufficient in their eyes.
On one level, the indignation of full-expansion supporters is understandable. Just like full-expansion opponents — which include the majority of Utah legislators — supporters are driven by a desire to improve the lives of their low-income neighbors. They see in the full expansion of Medicaid under the ACA the promise of doing so, and so they become agitated when their opinion fails to win the day.
The facts, however, show that the Utah Legislature’s decision to opt for a more modest expansion of Utah’s Medicaid program was the wise and compassionate path – for both low-income Utahns …
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Op-ed: Other states show that Utah did right to skip Medicaid expansion