Congress’ New Health Care Repeal Bill Cuts Medicaid, Harms Kids.

We have made enormous progress in making sure Utah kids have health insurance coverage. Speaker Ryan and the House Republicans have released a plan that will take us backwards. The plan would harm the health of kids and families in Utah and across the United States by drastically cutting Medicaid, the cornerstone to children’s health care, and repealing the ACA.

Over the last several years, thanks to the collective impact of the ACA, CHIP and Medicaid working together, we have seen a significant decline in the number of uninsured children in our state. But of these programs, the biggest insurer for kids is Medicaid. Medicaid insures over 200,000 children; the ACA covers an estimated 38,000 children.

Now Congress is reversing this progress. The proposed repeal act threatens the health and well-being of Utah children and families.

By proposing to place a fixed cap allotment on the Medicaid program, the proposal places arbitrary, harmful limits on the amount of care a vulnerable child can receive. Caps inevitably lead to cuts in care. The children that will bear the burden of these cuts are our kids with special health care needs and chronic conditions: kids with cancer, asthma, or cystic fibrosis. 

A Medicaid cap shifts costs to the state and creates more instability and volatility to a program that has worked for over 50 years.

In addition, while the proposal retains the provision in the ACA that allows children to stay on their parents’ health care to age 26, which we support, it phases out parallel language that allows children in foster care to retain their Medicaid coverage to age 26 through presumptive eligibility. Children aging out of foster care are some of our nation’s most at-risk kids. This proposal would leave vulnerable transition-age youth without coverage.

There are other dangerous provisions in the proposed bill, including cuts to Planned Parenthood and a rollback of essential health benefit protections. As more details emerge in the coming days, we will provide updates and analysis about the impact on kids and families.

But the bottom line is clear:

Congress’ repeal plan will hurt our most vulnerable children and families, drive up costs for families, and reverse the gains we have made for children’s health coverage and care.

Our families need a strong health care foundation now. Cuts to the Medicaid program will ripple throughout our health care system and hurt Utah families now and into the future.

For more information about how ACA repeal tax credits will affect families, see the Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.

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March 30, 2017 is Love UT Give UT!

It’s a day for Utahns to give to the nonprofits that make Utah special. Every donation to Voices for Utah Children through Love UT Give UT gives Voices a chance to win matching grants and prizes—and gives you a chance to win a car!

And you don't have to wait!  Donate now at http://bit.ly/loveUTchildren.

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express for sponsoring our 30th Anniversary Year. 

New factsheets by the University of Utah School of Medicine describe two policy solutions that would help Utah families obtain healthcare they need to plan and space their pregnancies in order to better achieve the best health outcomes for the mother and child. In addition to promoting health, these solutions are cost-effective.

A Medicaid State Plan Amendment (SPA) allows family planning coverage for individuals that do not qualify for full Medicaid benefits. Expanding family planning coverage would maximize the the federal match and support the health of Utah families. There are 28 states that take advantage of the option to offer family planning coverage for individuals that do not qualify for full Medicaid benefits. These existing programs have proven to be budget neutral or cost-saving.

Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) are highly effective contraception devices with minimal side effects that can be safely inserted immediately following delivery or during the mother's hospital stay. However, current Medicaid reimbursement procedures create a disincentive to offering LARC in this context. Unbundling LARC insertions from the global fee could improve access to this effective option.

For more information, see the complete fact sheets:

Expanding Family Planning Coverage with Medicaid

Expanding Options for Postpartum Contraception

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor. 

Comprehensive Early Intervention Services minimize the impact of disabilities for infants and toddlers improving lifelong outcomes for children, families and communities. Without additional funding for direct service staff, the opportunity to improve developmental outcomes will be lost.

For more information, see:

  Utah’s Baby Watch Early Intervention Program: Intervention is more effective and less costly when it is provided earlier in life rather than later.

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor. 

Lincoln Nehring, president and CEO of Voices for Utah Children, has been selected by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) as a 2017 consumer liaison representative. Consumer representatives provide guidance about the perspectives of consumers, represent their interests and assist state regulators to protect insurance consumers.

For more information, see NAIC Names 2017 Consumer Liaison Representatives.

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor. 

Why We Care About Medicaid “EPSDT” Benefits
and So Should You

While threats to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may seem the most imminent in our current political landscape, Medicaid is also under attack. Congress and the new administration are discussing deep cuts and changes to the Medicaid program, through Medicaid block grants or per capita program caps. The new administration recently said they will be proposing block grants. 

Medicaid block grants result in funding cuts and fewer people receiving coverage. Utah has long been recognized as a leader in health care innovation, but our ability to innovate will be severely impaired if we experience cuts to our foundational health care safety-net system through block grants. Medicaid is the cornerstone to children’s health coverage in Utah.

In a recent letter to Congress on January 13th, the Governor and state officials weighed in on a number of health reform proposals, including Medicaid. We saw many areas for concern in our state leaders’ letter; one brief recommendation in particular jumped out at us, because it would have significant and long-lasting consequences for children and families:

“Reevaluate the EPDST (Early Period Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment) benefit for children. EPDST requires states to provide comprehensive and preventative health services for Medicaid beneficiaries under the age of 21 with few limitations.
Consider limiting benefits to what is available in the private market. Currently, children on Medicaid have more access to services and benefits than children who are covered under good commercial plans.”

So, what is EPSDT?

Early, Periodic Screenings, Diagnosis & Treatment

The EPSDT benefit, known in Utah as “CHEC” or Children’s Health Evaluation and Care, is one of the hallmarks of the Medicaid program. The Medicaid Act currently requires states to provide children with a comprehensive scope of services. For decades, EPSDT has allowed providers to catch potential health problems early, when they are easiest to treat and children stand the best chance of developing to their fullest potential. Covered EPSDT services include basic preventative care, such as dental and vision services, plus services needed to address acute, long-term, and disabling conditions, such as physical, speech and behavioral health therapies and in-home nursing. The EPSDT benefit is considered the gold standard for children’s pediatric benefits. It helps doctors determine the best level of care for their patient.

EPSDT has helped millions of children, especially children with special health care needs, receive the level of the care they need. In fact, many families in the private insurance market will turn to Medicaid coverage for their children with special health care needs-- because they cannot afford such comprehensive benefits in their “good” commercial plan.

We Need to Protect EPSDT

Medicaid is the cornerstone for children’s health coverage in our state, and serves over 20% of our most vulnerable families. If we roll-back the EPSDT benefit, we will see a surge of parents no longer able to afford care, particularly for children with special health care needs.
EPSDT protects families; it assures families that they can receive a minimum level of coverage and have access to services that meet prevailing standards of care. For many higher-income families, Medicaid may seem unconnected to their day-to-day lives. But one of the core tenets of our health care safety-net is that it is there for families when they need it.

There are many improvements needed to our Medicaid program. But the EPSDT benefit package is not one of them. So why fix what isn’t broken? Instead, for example, Medicaid mental and behavioral health services should be better integrated and aligned with physical health benefits.
Instead of trying to raise health care standards for all kids, our state and federal leaders are instead looking to dilute standards. It is perverse logic to limit progress and roll-back gains, in order to achieve equality. Instead we should advance the progress made so all children can achieve affordable, comprehensive coverage.

We urge our state and federal leaders:

Do not limit benefits for children and weaken our existing standards.
Build on the progress we have made.
Strengthen coverage and care for all Utah children.

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor. 

Changes to Medicaid’s financing structure through a block grant or per capita cap would create large shortfalls in state funding. These would inevitably lead to limits placed on the program, such as a reduction in benefits or fewer children covered. The impact of these cuts would be even greater when utilization or enrollment goes up. For example, Utah would not be able to keep up with Medicaid demand during a recession, when many more children become newly eligible for and enroll in Medicaid. During the last recession, Medicaid added 30,000 enrollees in one year, a growth rate significantly higher than previous years. Under a block grant or per capita cap structure, the state would not be able to meet this sudden demand.

The charts below illustrate the Utah budget impact of the most recent House of Representatives block granting or per capita cap scenario if it had gone into effect a decade ago. The scenario is based on House Speaker Ryan’s federal budget proposal for FY2017. Under the proposal, Utah could expect to see a 25% cut to its federal Medicaid funding by the end of the first decade, because the proposal limited increases in federal Medicaid funding to the general consumer inflation rate rather than the medical cost inflation rate, which is higher (even for Medicaid, which has a lower inflation rate than private insurance). Thus, the scenarios below show federal Medicaid funding to Utah increasing annually by about 2% rather than the actual average increase of over 5%.

Since the Ryan proposal did not specify a state match or Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement, we present a worst-case scenario where Utah’s state Medicaid contribution remains flat at the FY2007 level and a best-case scenario where Utah’s state Medicaid contribution increases by 60% over the last decade (as it actually did in nominal terms, not adjusted for inflation).*

*Based on information available from Utah Medicaid Annual Reports. For additional information on Speaker Ryan’s proposals see the Congressional Budget Office report, “The Long-Term Budgetary Impact of Paths for Federal Revenues and Spending Specified by Chairman Ryan,” March 2012, .

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor. 

Oral Health Care for Children and Families

Tooth decay is the top preventable disease for kids. When kids experience poor oral health, their school attendance and grades are likely to suffer. Kids experiencing dental pain cannot concentrate in school and fully participate in activities. What’s more, oral health decay can lead to other serious medical problems. An estimated 65% of Utah children have experienced a dental cavity by the time they are 9-years-old.

The best way to treat cavities is through prevention: we can prevent oral health problems before they occur. But many families have trouble accessing affordable dental care for their kids. Working parents may not be able to get the time off for a routine visit. Low-income children, children of color and children in rural areas have an even harder time accessing a dentist in their communities. According to a recent Department of Health report, Hispanic children were five times more likely to report having unmet dental health needs compared to White children. 

School-based prevention or sealant programs are one of the best ways to ensure all kids can receive affordable, preventative oral health care.

We need to help more children access school-based sealant programs and affordable care. Voices for Utah Children supports policies that expand dental care access for all children including:

• Changes to the Utah Medicaid dental program to better meet the needs of low-income families and expand school-based care, including reimbursing for patient assessment in a public health settings (Medicaid code D0191).
• Expanding Medicaid and CHIP oral health quality performance measures, monitoring and evaluation to improve kids’ utilization of preventive care visits.
• Expanding dental health benefits for children in the marketplace, including a more robust pediatric dental benefit package and embedding children’s dental health benefits into all plans.
• A comprehensive state plan to address oral health access disparities experienced by low-income children, children of color, and children in rural areas across the state.

Our children should not be falling behind due to cavities or oral health pain. Together we can strengthen our pediatric oral health system so all kids can succeed.

Image Credit: © Oksun70 | Dreamstime.com - Kid Girl Brushing Teeth In Bathroom Photo

Image Credit: American Dental Association

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor. 

New Utah-specific report on ACA repeal details impact to Utah families

Salt Lake City—The number of uninsured Utah children would more than double if Congress repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a comprehensive replacement plan, according to new data released by the Urban Institute. The new data offer more detail than we’ve ever seen before about how repeal without a replacement will affect Utah children and families. As Congress and the new administration begin the process of repealing the ACA, they have yet to negotiate an agreement on a replacement and may delay doing so indefinitely.

Repealing the ACA without a replacement in place will leave even more Utah children uninsured than before the ACA came into being. While most attention has been directed toward the fact that ACA repeal could end the ACA health insurance marketplace—in itself devastating for Utah families because Utah has one of the highest marketplace enrollment rates in the nation—the ACA repeal will also affect CHIP and Medicaid, tearing away at key features of Utah’s safety net that existed long before the ACA.

All Utah families stand to lose a number of health insurance protections, not only families enrolled in the marketplace. In a letter to Congress dated January 13th, Governor Herbert and state officials expressed interest in rolling back ACA protections from insurance discrimination based on gender. In the same letter, they also supported a return to exclusions for those with pre-existing conditions. The roll-back of these ACA protections would lead to an increased medical burden for many Utah families.

The report by the Urban Institute estimated that by 2019, Utahns would see the following consequences of ACA repeal:

• 273,000 more Utahns would become uninsured, raising Utah’s total uninsured rate from 12% to 21%.
• 73,000 Utah children would become newly uninsured, resulting in 141,000 children without insurance. Of the Utah children who stand to lose insurance, 88% have at least one full-time working parent in the home.
• 89,000 additional Utah parents would become uninsured, putting increased economic stress on the entire family.

“Thanks to the ACA, CHIP and Medicaid, more Utah children are insured than ever before,” said Jessie Mandle, Senior Health Policy Analyst at Voices for Utah Children. “We need a plan to build on these gains, instead of going backward.”

Read the Utah fact sheet here:
Partial Repeal of the ACA through Reconciliation: Coverage Implications for Utah Residents

The new Utah factsheet is based on research compiled by the Urban Institute in December, which was modeled on a Congressional repeal bill from 2016 similar to present Congressional proposals.
Partial Repeal of the ACA through Reconciliation: Coverage Implications for Parents and Children

Image Credit: Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com - Mother Taking Temperature Of Sick Daughter

For 30 years now, Voices for Utah Children has called on our state, federal and local leaders to put children’s needs first. But the work is not done. The children of 30 years ago now have children of their own. Too many of these children are growing up in poverty, without access to healthcare or quality educational opportunities.

How can you be involved?

Make a tax-deductible donation to Voices for Utah Children—or join our Network with a monthly donation of $20 or more.  Network membership includes complimentary admission to Network events with food, socializing, and opportunity to meet child advocacy experts. And don't forget to join our listserv to stay informed!

We look forward to the future of Voices for Utah Children and we hope you will be a part of our next 30 years.

Special thanks to American Express, our "Making a Difference All Year Long" sponsor.