That wasn't always the case. Jennifer and her husband, Preston, were at one time enrolled in the Primary Care Network, a public health insurance program that covers basic care and little else.
Then Preston got a new job - one that offered health insurance - and got help paying the premiums through Utah's Premium Partnership for Health Insurance, or UPP.
It has made the difference, Jennifer said, between getting buried in her cancer treatment bills and being able to pay them. "That has taken a lot of financial stress off of us," she said.
A program that helps families pay for their employer-sponsored health insurance premiums, UPP is helping people like the Thomas family get the health care they need.
If only more people knew about it - and signed up.
In January, an independent firm hired by the Utah Department of Health found that 88 percent of 305 people surveyed didn't know UPP exists.
"There is a low understanding of and knowledge of the program," said Kolbi Young, a spokeswoman for the health department.
While UPP can enroll up to 1,000 adults and an unlimited number of children, only 578 people were taking advantage of the program as of Oct. 1. Fewer than half - 215 - were adults.
Unlike the state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which in Utah capped its enrollment only two years after the program started, UPP is struggling to fill its slots after being in existence for about the same amount of time.
The difference, in part, is due to exposure. While CHIP has national name recognition, UPP is exclusively a Utah program, Young said.
With such low enrollment, however, the program's administrative costs are high: in fiscal year 2008, the per capita cost for UPP enrollees was $430. The health department spent $248,447 during that time on marketing - which it plans to retool this year - and administration.
"There has to be some up-front cost in order to be able to educate and inform the public, even before people enroll," Young said.
Utah's experience is not unique. The few states that offer premium assistance have seen low enrollment, according to a May report by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
Less than 1 percent of eligible children are participating in some of the newer programs, including Utah's UPP. Even in states with older programs, such as Illinois and Oregon, however, only 9 percent and 2 percent of eligible children are enrolled.
The problem, the Kaiser report says, is likely due to limited availability of employer-sponsored coverage - and the high cost of it when it is available.
A report released Thursday by Families USA showed that between 2000 and 2007, employer-sponsored health insurance premiums in Utah rose 4.9 times faster than wages. Nationally, the number of Americans getting coverage through their employers dropped to 59.3 percent from 64.2 percent.
But Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, said the UPP vouchers - up to $150 per person, per month - coupled with employer's contributions are more than adequate.
"It's a real world subsidy," said Dunnigan, who sits on the Legislature's Health System Reform Task Force and the Utah CHIP Advisory Council.
Covered at Work - UPP's predecessor - was only offered to adults and provided $50 per person, per month. The lawmaker argued the vouchers needed to be more realistic. Covered at Work needed to be put "on steroids," as he put it.
Then came UPP. While the vouchers are significantly higher, the multipage application is cumbersome for both applicants and their employers, he said. And there is a lag time between when a family starts paying their premiums and when the state cuts their first voucher check. Some families living on tight budgets are unable to temporarily absorb the cost.
Eligibility guidelines are also strict, Young said. Individuals and families can't already be enrolled in their employer's insurance when they apply. And the cost of the premiums for their employer-sponsored plan has to exceed 5 percent of their income.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, however, is considering whether to let the state make several changes. They include:
As of July 1, approval for UPP also became a qualifying event to enroll in an employer's health insurance plan, allowing individuals and families to sign up for coverage any time during the year, Young said. And UPP changed its eligibility guidelines, raising the deductible for qualifying plans to $2,500 or lower.
"I can't speak to how those have improved access right now - it has just been too quick," Young said. But, she added: "It is our goal to fill the program up."
