By rejecting full Medicaid expansion under a voter-approved ballot initiative, and opting instead for a more restrictive program, Utah lawmakers have rung up millions of dollars in monthly health care costs, the state’s Medicaid director said Thursday.
“Our estimate is it’s about $2.5 million per month that the state is spending in additional General Fund [payouts] right now — spending more now than it would if we were under full expansion,” Nate Checketts told members of the Legislature’s Health Reform Task Force.
Checketts’ comments came during a presentation on Utah’s Medicaid expansion, which hit a snag last month when the Trump Administration indicated it plans to reject the state’s request for a waiver from the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.