House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, has proposed allowing all uninsured and financially eligible children in Utah to enroll in the joint state and federal insurance plan.

"Kids can't ensure themselves," Crompton said, adding that getting the health care they need shouldn't be contingent on the job a parent has or an employer's decisions about the affordability of health care. Insuring children provides them with cost-efficient, quality care. Keeping them insured reduces costs."

Lawmakers have overwhelming support for CHIP expansion among their constituents. A poll conducted a year ago for Voices indicated that 82 percent of Utahns said they would either strongly support (61 percent) or somewhat favor (21 percent) some kind of plan to ensure that all children in the state have health insurance.

When asked about CHIP specifically, the support among respondents was 4 percentage points higher.

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