House rejects bill to let some adults with disabilities buy Medicaid wraparound services

Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost presented H.B.252, which sought to reduce the 'Medicaid cliff' for adults with permanent disabilities by instructing the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to apply for a federal waiver. The waiver would have allowed eligible adults to purchase Medicaid for wraparound services on a sliding scale when private insurance left coverage gaps.

Dailey-Provost framed the measure as a constituent-driven fix to a situation in which an individual who earns more and gains private insurance can lose access to essential in-home services. She said the waiver approach could preserve access to care while leveraging private insurance for core coverage.

Members questioned practical implementation, and floor debate emphasized both fiscal and program design concerns. After debate, House voting closed and H.B.252 failed on a 36-36 tie and was referred to staff for filing.