This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's low-income advocates are calling the budget agreement and its proposed cuts in Medicaid, food stamps, agriculture subsidies and housing "unreasonable and uncivilized."
"When you consider how cost-effective Medicaid is, particularly Utah, it is appalling that Congress wants to cut $10 billion from the program, while increasing tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent," said Judi Hillman, health policy analyst for the advocacy group Utah Issues.
Medicaid makes it possible for about 250,000 needy Utahns to get medical care.
But the federal government and states are struggling to sustain the program as health insurance costs and the number of uninsured explode.
