Help Us Protect Medicaid!
All children and families need access to affordable, quality, health care. Health insurance provides a critical foundation for kids, so they can stay healthy, manage health conditions or problems, perform better in school, be active and thrive.
Together we can reach 100% coverage for Utah children so ALL kids can reach their full potential.
Beginning January 1, 2024, Utah will offer a new health coverage program called State CHIP that provides non-citizen children of working families access to health care.
Thanks to these recent changes, we are one step closer to this goal.
Learn more about the new coverage option for immigrant children.
HOW WE'LL REACH 100% KIDS COVERAGE
Access to healthcare coverage creates a foundation for children to grow and thrive. Research has shown that when children have access to health coverage, they are more likely to succeed in school and have better health and economic outcomes as adults.
Unfortunately, Utah has one of the highest rates of uninsured children in the nation, 61,000 children (6%).
We can save more than 9 million dollars by covering all of Utah's uninsured children. No child should be denied care, but thousands of children are unable to get health coverage or forced to delay or forgo treatment because they lack coverage. We want to make sure all children can have the coverage and care they need this year.
This year, we have made an important stride in this through Utah's NEW State CHIP Program. To learn more visit our "State CHIP" tab!
Utah's Medicaid program began offering "12 Month continuous eligibility" in January 2024. Continuous coverage means children will not churn on and off of coverage and risk being uninsured during an emergency. Currently, thousands of Utah children may lose their health insurance at some point in the year due to red-tape, administrative error, or changing family circumstances.
Thanks to changes in the federal government, the children's Medicaid programs will allow kids to receive continuous coverage for an entire year.
Utah has one of the highest rate of children currently eligible for health insurance, but unenrolled, especially in rural parts of our state. Outreach and enrollment assistance programs help families understand what healthcare options are best for them, recognizing that plans and prices change each year as do family circumstances. Utah should support outreach and enrollment assistance efforts so that families, across the state, can get coverage that’s right for them and more easily connect with care.
When parents are uninsured, research shows their children are less likely to be insured too. Funding cuts and harmful limits to coverage only make it more difficult for Utah kids and families to get the health care they need. Right now, thousands of parents are still shut out of coverage—unable to afford health coverage or not offered it by their jobs but not currently eligible for Medicaid. Implementing full, clean Medicaid expansion will help parents and kids across the state thrive.
Medicaid and CHIP are lifelines for many Utah children and families, providing essential health services like preventive care, immunizations, and treatment for chronic conditions. However, funding cuts and restrictive policies threaten to undermine these critical programs. Without Medicaid and CHIP, thousands of Utah families would struggle to afford the healthcare they need. Ensuring the stability and accessibility of these programs is vital.
UT_CoverageInfographic_8.5x11_v3r3_FINAL (Print Ready).pdfEvery child deserves access to the healthcare they need, exactly when they need it. Unfortunately, too many children in Utah are slipping through the cracks.
Stay informed on the current Utah coverage landscape—download our one-pager today and learn about our goal to ensure 100% of Utah's kids are covered!
OUR SUPPORTERS
Alliance for a Better Utah
Alianza Venezolana de Utah
Alliance Community Services
Asian Association of Utah
Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
Centro de la Familia de Utah
Centro Hispano
Community Health Connect
Community Health Workers Section -UPHA
Consulate of Mexico in Salt Lake City
Crossroads Urban Center
Faith and Advocacy Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness
Family Healthcare in St. George
Friends of the Children - Utah
Health Choice Utah
Holy Cross Ministries
Intermountain Healthcare
International Rescue Committee
Neighborhood House
Neighborworks Salt Lake
Primary Children’s Hospital
Promise Partnership Utah
Root for Kids
Salt Lake City Mayor's Office
Salt Lake County Mayor's Office for New Americans
Select Health
The University of Utah Health Plans
The People's Health Clinic
United Way of Salt Lake
Utah Assistive Technology Program
Utah Family Voices at the Utah Parent Center
Utah Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
Utah Community Health Workers Association
Utah Health Policy Project
Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition
University Health Communities Clinics
YWCA of Utah
Individual supporters:
Jamilla Al-ani
Gabriella Barbosa, Managing Director of Policy
Dr. Teri Henke
Angie Settle
Rebecca Schneider, Dentist
Edna R. Valencia C.
Ross Romero
Nathan Money, DO
Trhas Tafere
Cecilia Trujillo