Medicaid/CHIP Policy Clinic

• Educated policymakers on how to make prudent and timely use of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (economic stimulus plan) with tools like the Navigator and a 2009 edition of the Medicaid economic impact report and calculator;
• Strengthened Utah‘s Preferred Drug List Program, generating $1.4 million in savings to the state;
• Reintroduced risk-based contracting into Medicaid managed care ($3 million);
• Restored Medicaid physical therapy and occupational therapy;
• Maintained eligibility for ‘optional‘ groups, including: aged/blind/disability group, pregnant women, and foster kids, despite threats to reduce or eliminate these categories earlier in the Session.
• Defended Medicaid provider reimbursement rates to ensure beneficiaries continue to have access to care.

Coverage Initiatives

• On the last day of the session HB178 was introduced by Rep. J. Dunnigan and passed at UHPP‘s request. The bill extended access to both the state‘s mini-COBRA coverage for laid-off employees and the new Federal COBRA 65% subsidy;
• Successfully amended many sections of HB188, the principal vehicle for health system reforms in Utah, including:
• The basic benefit was changed from NetCare to the lowest qualified high-deductible plan;
• The task force was extended for another year and given extensive reporting requirements;
• Broker transparency and a risk adjuster were included.
• Educated policymakers on the need to strengthen public programs as a first step in health reform.

Quality/Equality Watch

• Came very close to lifting the 5-year waiting period on permanent legal resident children‘s eligibility for CHIP/Medicaid, laying the groundwork for victory in 2010;
• Provided research and advocacy training to support the Utah Multicultural Health Network in its successful campaign to enact a new voluntary certification process for medical interpreters via HB 144 (Rep. R. Chavez-Houck).

Community Engagement Initiatives and the Utah Business Group on Health
Our fourth category of activity is more functional, and it supports the 3 core initiatives above. UHPP employs a variety of strategies to bring the consumer and small business voice to the table where health policy decisions are made:

• Asked to co-convene the Community Workgroup, 1 of 5 formed to advise the state‘s Health System Reform Task Force; organized satellite meetings in 13 towns and cities across the state, engaging over 500 individuals in the process;
• Expanded our popular storybank by creating a new storybank subscription service‘ for policymakers; innovated a new type of story that points to the relevant policy solution (our stories were mentioned on several occasions in floor debates);
• Organized a successful press conference on Medicaid cuts featuring consumers and providers from each area proposed for elimination;
• Convened several statewide discussions on national health reform, using satellite video conference technologies;
• Organized 1st Annual UHPP Health Policy Conference , Health System Reform, the Key to Economic Recovery, with nationally renowned speakers John Holahan (Urban Institute) and Brian Rosman (Health Care for All-Massachusetts);
• Engaged the Chamber, United Way, Governor‘s Office of Economic Development, AARP, and AUCH to bring Len Nichols of New America Foundation out for a full day of meetings around launching state health reforms;
• Organized 4 Summits with candidates and incumbents across the state about health reform and the status of Medicaid;
• Met with and engaged 6 local Chambers of Commerce;
• 28 major organizational endorsements to implement the Immigrant Children‘s Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) in Utah;
• 30 strategic organizational endorsements of Utah Medicaid Partnership principles for addressing Medicaid budget cuts;
• Published regular e-newsletters (Health Matters) and alerts to keep supporters informed and fully activated on the issues;
• Issued 1000‘s of timely and targeted calls to action during the legislative session, encouraging constituents to contact their legislators around key votes; organized 3 lobby days with key stakeholders around restoring critical Medicaid services;
• Invited to give many presentations —ranging from Grand Rounds at the local hospital to Rotary clubs and college classes.

Learn more in our 2008 Report to the Community.