Activists seek aid from health department

Advocates for Utah's poor and disabled took their fight to restore funding for Medicaid dental and vision benefits to a new venue Monday, imploring health department officials to find money in their budget to do what lawmakers have twice refused to do.

The Utah Department of Health, which administers the state's Medicaid program, is the "hope of last resort" for some 60,000 Utahns who are set to lose the benefits on July 1, said Jerry Costley of the Disabled Rights Action Committee.

DRAC requested Monday's public hearing as part of the department's rulemaking process in response to lowered levels of Medicaid funding from the Utah Legislature. The rules address lawmakers' decision not to fund adult dental services or dentures or eyeglasses for Medicaid recipients for fiscal year 2007 — a savings of $15.9 million in state and federal funds, according to the health department.

During a special legislative session last month, lawmakers refused to even consider a request from Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to allocate $2 million for emergency dental services for the neediest Medicaid recipients.

Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake, one of only two state lawmakers to attend Monday's hearing, said she was not happy with the approach lawmakers took to the governor's request during the one-day special session.

"I was embarrassed that both the House and Senate leaders did not allow debate and a vote on this critical issue," McGee said, asking health department officials to do "all within their power to continue the dental and vision services as currently provided."

Rep. Janice Fisher, D-West Valley City, said she, too, was "embarrassed and dismayed at the lack of funding by the Legislature."

"There were many of us who supported you and understood your needs," Fisher said. "I hope the Legislature does not fail you in the next session."

The health department would have had enough money left over from the current year's budget to fund emergency dental services for about 40,000 blind, aged and disabled citizens, state Medicaid director Michael Hales said Monday. But without direct authority from lawmakers to use the money — at least $2 million — for the upcoming fiscal year, the funds will lapse into a restricted account to be redistributed by lawmakers, Hales said.

Contrary to lawmakers' contentions during the special session, health department officials cannot simply choose to fund dental and vision services by administrative rule, Hales said.