Medicaid Expansion in Utah: Good for Working Parents & Kids

In Utah, where one in ten children lack health insurance coverage, extending Medicaid coverage for parents is an effective strategy to boost children’s enrollment rates. Governor Gary Herbert’s proposed Healthy Utah Plan would expand Medicaid eligibility and insure tens of thousands of low-income adults. Uninsured parents account for over one-third of the population potentially eligible for health coverage if the state expands Medicaid.

CCF’s joint report with Voices for Utah Children profiles the population of uninsured parents who would be potentially eligible for health coverage if the state expands Medicaid. Of these 27,000 parents:

  • 69% are in young to middle adulthood (ages 26 to 49 years old)
  • 75% are white
  • 61% have one or two children
  • 46% have school-aged children (6 to 17 years old)

Most notably, of those uninsured parents that could benefit from extended Medicaid eligibility, more than two-thirds (68%) are employed. One quarter (25%) of parents are not in the labor force, meaning they are most likely homemakers, students or retired workers. Only eight percent of parents are unemployed. One quarter (25%) of eligible people are working and have a spouse who is working.

Popular industries for eligible parents include retail (19%), professional services (12%), restaurants (9%), construction (8%), and manufacturing (8%). In other words, those uninsured parents potentially eligible for Medicaid expansion are hardworking individuals who otherwise do not have access to affordable health coverage. If these families have unpaid medical bills or expensive health costs, they could benefit from the financial stability that comes with comprehensive Medicaid coverage from Healthy Utah.HealthyUtahParentsJobs

As research suggests, when parents lack health coverage, children are more likely to be uninsured. In order to help the 10% of children who do not have health insurance in Utah, these parents must be able to access affordable and quality health coverage. If the state expands Medicaid eligibility to a larger population, many of these uninsured parents in Utah will gain health coverage. In the meantime, Utah’s low-income working parents remain uninsured, underscoring the importance of a robust Medicaid program to reduce the rate of uninsured parents – as well as uninsured children.

 

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