Legislative wrap: Health care

Considering that Health and Human Services requested $34 million and got about $9 million, when all was said and done, the top priorities were as intact as administrators could have hoped.

About $10 million next year and $14 million in 2010 was approved for CHIP, the joint state/federal insurance plan for children in families with working parents who don't have insurance benefits through their workplace. The money is intended to keep enrollment open, which has been closed more often than not the past five years.

About $2.7 million was approved to keep intact the adult vision and primary dental plan for Utahns covered by Medicaid insurance. Funding for the two benefits was reinstated last year after a 5-year absence but was threatened this year after revenue figures released in February were lower than expected.

Ongoing money for a new registry for Utah's rapidly increasing and so far unexplained rate of children with autism or autistic-type behavioral problems was also approved.