This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A pair of public opinion surveys released Monday reached starkly different conclusions about how Utahns perceive Gov. Gary Herbert's proposal to expand Medicaid using private health insurance plans.
One poll, from UtahPolicy.com found two out of three Utahns support the governor's plan. The other, from The Sutherland Institute, found more support for leaving the state's Medicaid rolls alone.
The issue, tied to President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, is expected to be a major political fight in the months to come.
Herbert believes he is close to striking a deal with the Obama administration, but he still needs state lawmakers to sign off. Legislators have previously resisted attempts to expand health coverage to more low income Utahns over fears that it could cost the state too much money in the future.
In this charged atmosphere, UtahPolicy.com, a nonpartisan political newsletter operated by lobbyist LaVarr Webb, commissioned a survey from Dan Jones and Associates that found 67 percent of people support Herbert's "Healthy Utah" plan.
In asking that question, the Utah Policy poll noted the plan would return nearly $250 million in federal taxes to the state to cover 55,000 low-income Utahns who now lack access to health care. About 55 percent of respondents support a straight expansion of Medicaid that would put low-income residents on government insurance rather than a private plan.
Utah Policy's poll found that 56 percent of Utahns have not yet heard of the governor's plan.
The Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank critical of expanding Medicaid, commissioned its own survey from Magellan Strategies. The poll focused heavily on the potential cost of expanding Medicaid. The federal government will cover the costs completely in the first three years, but eventually the state must pay 10 percent.
Sutherland's survey offered four options: a full expansion of Medicaid, a partial expansion of Medicaid, Herbert's Healthy Utah plan or the status quo. None of those options were supported by a majority of respondents, and roughly 30 percent of the public had no opinion. But the poll found the highest support — 45 percent — for leaving the Medicaid system where it currently stands, a position that dovetails with the one held by Sutherland.