BAD DECISION DAY

by Paul Gibbs

December 18 was a spectacularly bad day for both compassion and common sense in Utah. In its final meeting for 2014, the Utah Healthcare Reform Taskforce chose to exclude Healthy Utah from their list of recommendations to the legislature for providing health care to people in the coverage gap. The options they did choose don't even accomplish the logical minimum goal of closing the gap. They help only a small percentage who qualify as "medically frail", leaving out tens of thousands of the working poor and throwing away huge amounts of Utah tax dollars. It would easily qualify the members of the committee who voted this way for the bad judgment hall of fame, yet co-chair Sen. Allen Christensen describes it as the "glass half full" approach. I would argue that the glass doesn't count as half full when you started with a full glass and poured out half of it out of it out of ignorance and spite.

Fortunately, this doesn't kill Health Utah. This was only a recommendation made by the task force, and we saw willingness from two Republicans  (Sen. Becky Edwards and Sen. Brian Shiozawa) to fight for what is morally and fiscally responsible. But it's a big setback, especially considering the crucial role Rep. Jim Dunnigan, the new House Majority Leader and co-chair of the taskforce, is expected to play in legislative process. Dunnigan is an insurance agent who is being called an "expert" by the legislature, and many have said they would go by what he supports. He has been working on the issue of healthcare in Utah for 10 years. Well, frankly, I'm not impressed with an "expert" who takes 8 years to work on an issue, gets a workable solution from the federal government, takes 2 more years to watch it get watered down, then chooses to take less money to help fewer people. This is a guy who has used the campaign slogan "Get it done again with Dunnigan"? Up until recently I thought Dunnigan would act as a moderating influence on the more extremist members of the task force. I thought he was essentially reasonable, and he seemed to be headed toward reluctant acceptance of Healthy Utah. I don't know if I was wrong, or if getting the House Majority Leader position made a change for the worse, but if this is the kind of leadership we can expect, he's going to be a crushing disappointment.

The two approaches suggested by the task force would cover between 12 and 20 percent of those below the poverty line, such as those who are mentally ill, addicted, or disabled, or too sick to work. While covering these people is of course necessary, it leaves out the majority in the gap. 66% of those in the gap work and can't get health insurance. Those people are left with no options. How does this accomplish the goal of encouraging "personal responsibility"? The task force is suggesting we punish people for working. This blatantly commits the Medicaid opponent's avowed cardinal sin of "encouraging dependence", because it leaves people no help once they're able to work. And, as suggested by stalwart supporter of the poor Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, we'll be adding to the "medically frail" by preventing those on the edge from getting preventative care.

I pray that you're shocked and outraged by this. I pray that you'll send and email to Rep. Dunnigan telling him how strongly you oppose this decision. I pray that compassion and wisdom will prevail. Because we just took a serious hit, and we need people to stand up, or tens of thousands of Utahns will be left out in the cold, betrayed by their own legislature.


DUNNIGAN'S EMAIL:
jdunnigan@le.utah.gov