This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
All news is local. Somewhere ...
— After closed-door caucus on Medicaid expansion, Senate GOP still split — The Salt Lake Tribune
" ... Senate Republicans heard presentations on the Healthy Utah plan, to help those in the coverage gap who earn up to 138 percent of poverty, and an alternative by Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, to cover only the most needy of adults below the poverty level — dubbed 'Frail Utah' for the most medically vulnerable. ...
" ... 'I have been called a significant number of names for my cold-hardheartedness' [Christensen said] ... "
— No quarrel with Obamacare's moral basis — Francis Wilkinson | Bloomberg View
" ... Obamacare and its precursors (Kennedycare, Hillarycare, Romneycare) were rooted in a liberal moral vision — that no one in so wealthy a nation should be denied health care because they lack the means to buy it. Many Americans accept that premise. Republicans have all but ceded the argument; they just don't like the redistributive consequences of it. ..."
— Coalition of Health Organizations Urge Adoption of Healthy Utah — Bryan Schott | Utah Policy.com
" ... 'We understand any effort to help an underserved population carries a big financial cost,' said Marc Watterson, Utah Director of Government Relations for the American Heart Association. 'It can be tempting to go with the cheapest option. But, the cheapest option is not always the best option. We are asking legislators to remember there's a right way and a wrong way to do the right thing'. ..."
— Christensen Defends his 'Frail Utah' Plan — Curtis Haring | Utah Political Capital
" ... 'For months now we have been considering various plans on Medicaid expansion since Obamacare was passed. The courts said that it had to be optional through the states and so half of the states have jumped on the bandwagon and half of them have turned them down – I would like Utah be another one of those that turns that expansion down,' Christensen told the media. 'There are those in both of the bodies that want something done, and not just plain turn down and say 'no.' My plan will provide access to healthcare through traditional Medicaid to the most needy'. ..."
— CHIP is good for Utah children, taxpayers — Lincoln Nehring and Meg Booth | For The Deseret News
"When it comes to health insurance, there is good news and bad news for Utah children. On the one hand, we're pleased that the percentage of uninsured children continues to fall, dropping from 11.1 percent in 2011 to 9.5 percent today. On the other hand, unless Congress acts soon, thousands of Utah children could lose the coverage they have through the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. ..."
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— Treatment, breaks on drug crimes urged in Utah prison reforms — The Salt Lake Tribune
" ... The bill, which has yet to be publicly released, would create a process to assess the causes underlying convicted individuals' criminal acts and funnel those who need it into enhanced treatment programs. The most controversial part of the legislation involves a plan to drop drug-possession charges from a felony to a misdemeanor. ..."
— Jails Have Become Warehouses for the Poor, Ill and Addicted, a Report Says — The New York Times
"Jails across the country have become vast warehouses made up primarily of people too poor to post bail or too ill with mental health or drug problems to adequately care for themselves, according to a report issued Wednesday.
"The study, 'Incarceration's Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America,' found that the majority of those incarcerated in local and county jails are there for minor violations, including driving with suspended licenses, shoplifting or evading subway fares, and have been jailed for longer periods of time over the past 30 years because they are unable to pay court-imposed costs. ..."