Lawmakers urged not to cut Medicaid benefits

Utah Medicaid recipients and their supporters presented letters Friday to all 20 members of the Executive Appropriations Committee encouraging them not to cut vision and dental benefits for Utah's poor.

"As Medicaid recipients, and people with friends who are Medicaid recipients, we feel it is immoral to cut services for low-income people with disabilities in a year with a budget surplus with more than one billion dollars," the letter states. "This immorality is made even worse by the fact that some committee members have refused to take responsibility for their role in these cuts."

The letter, signed by 75 Utahns, continues to invite the lawmakers to meet with them Monday afternoon — Presidents Day — and discuss restoration of the services to the state's Medicaid budget. At that time, the group will present each legislator with a "Certificate of Leadership" or a "Certificate of Cowardice" based on their response to Friday's letter.