Partial Medicaid expansion in Utah goes into effect today

A pared-down version of a Medicaid expansion measure in Utah goes into effect today, paving the way for up to 90,000 people to enroll in the program. Utah residents last year voted to expand Medicaid coverage to those who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level — roughly $17,000 for individuals and $35,535 for families of four. But the state’s legislature got approval from the Trump administration on Friday for a different version of an expansion, this one to cover those earning up to 100 percent of the poverty level. The plan also imposes work requirements on Medicaid enrollees, but those changes, if approved, won’t be effective until 2020. Other states with Medicaid work requirements, most notably Arkansas and Kentucky, have had these rules blocked by the courts, so it remains to be seen whether Utah will face similar challenges.