Today, we and our colleagues at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, along with six other national organizations, submitted comments on the Utah Primary Care Network Section 1115 waiver request to extend the Primary Care Network and expand coverage to two very limited new groups of beneficiaries – parents from current mandatory levels up to  55% FPL and individuals who are chronically homeless, justice-involved, and/or in need of treatment for substance use disorders (SUD).

Utah’s request raised a number of important issues such as: what are the roles and pathways to partial expansions now that the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion option is available? Similarly, in the post ACA world (where childless adults have a statutory path to eligibility): what should be the fate of older waiver approaches like the Primary Care Network that covered some of the same people, but with restrictions and limits that should no longer be permissible in our judgment.

So while this topic is likely a snoozer for some, it may be of intense interest to others — you know who you are! For those in the latter category, check out our comments.