COVID-19 – Utah Health Policy Project

STATEMENT FROM UHPP: Our Commitment to the Community

Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP) is committed to being a resource to the community during the COVID-19 crisis. In observation of public health protocols, UHPP staff are now working remotely, but are rapidly developing ways to use technology to continue our direct health insurance enrollment services. UHPP is also working to make sure accurate, productive, and useful messages are transmitted to the community through social media, email and other means of communication. We are all in this together; UHPP will do our best to do our part.

See the full March 16th message here:

https://utahhealthpolicyproject.salsalabs.org/inthistogether

STATEMENT on Suspension of Work Reporting Requirement:

Medicaid is an essential piece of the safety net that protects low-income Utahns during this kind of emergency, and our leaders should be doing everything they can to roll out a health insurance welcome mat rather than upholding barriers to care.

Work requirements or “community engagement” rules have always been illegal, illogical, and unnecessarily punitive. These flaws are amplified during this pandemic but are also problematic even in the best of times. We are hopeful that state leaders will realize the short-sightedness and inefficiency of this policy and suspend work requirements permanently.

See our full statement: https://utahhealthpolicyproject.salsalabs.org/4320wrsuspension

and this blog from the UHPP policy team

STATEMENT on Trump Administration Efforts to Repeal the ACA During a Pandemic:

“The administration and AGs’ lawsuit has the potential to throw the health care system into chaos in the middle of a pandemic and economic recession,” said Stacy Stanford, Health Policy Analyst for Utah Health Policy Project. “Tens of thousands of Utahns would lose coverage and many more would face higher costs for coverage or care.”

“The ACA has bolstered Utah’s ability to deal with both the pandemic and the resulting economic recession,” said Matt Slonaker, Executive Director of Utah Health Policy Project. “Striking down the law would impede efforts to end the public health crisis and deal with the fallout.”

https://utahhealthpolicyproject.salsalabs.org/62420acarepealpress

Kaiser Family Foundation history of the case: https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/explaining-texas-v-u-s-a-guide-to-the-case-challenging-the-aca/

Community Catalyst Advocates’ guide: https://www.communitycatalyst.org/resources/tools/guide-health-insurance-reform/pdf/Advocates-Guide-to-HCRL-FINAL.pdf

Kaiser Family Foundation Literature Review on the Effect of Medicaid Expansion

HEALTH POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO RESPOND TO COVID-19

See details and the full report here:

https://www.healthpolicyproject.org/covid-19-policy-recommendations/

Salt Lake Tribune Op-Ed:

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2020/03/26/matt-slonaker-pandemic/