Utah

Utah: Working Smart for Utah’s Kids
The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) is leading the Working Smart for Utah’s Kids project as the grantee of the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program. UDOH oversees the state’s public health coverage programs, which include Utah’s Medicaid program, its separate State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and its premium assistance program, known as Utah’s Premium Partnership for Health Insurance (UPP). These programs work together to provide coverage for children with family income up to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Applications for these programs are processed by eligibility staff employed with the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS). DWS staff also determines eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care and Food Stamps. The eligibility staff considers all of these programs for families applying for any one service to ensure families are enrolled in all of the appropriate state programs. Eligibility workers are outstationed in hospitals, medical clinics, county health departments and school districts to connect with families in the community. As a grantee of the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program Utah hopes to evaluate and implement additional strategies to enroll and retain eligible children within multicultural populations.
 
Click here for a profile of Utah’s Medicaid and CHIP programs and to learn about the state’s enrollment and renewal simplification strategies.

“I am committed to improving access to healthcare for the uninsured. I am committed to making the necessary changes to increase enrollment and retention of eligible children in public programs.” – Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, 2008