Healthcare (Medicaid)

HB 471 amends Utah's Medicaid and SNAP programs to implement work requirements for certain adults (ages 19-64, not pregnant or disabled), stricter verification for income, residency, and citizenship, and new citizenship eligibility rules. It requires documented proof (not self-attestation) for enrollment and annual redeterminations, and mandates hospitals to collect immigration status during applications. The bill directly affects Medicaid applicants and recipients who do not qualify for existing exemptions, beginning October 1, 2026, for citizenship rules and January 1, 2027, for work requirements. It also requires annual reports on compliance rates and exemptions to state legislators.

Utah's HB 232 (Medicaid Abortion Payment Amendments) restricts Medicaid funding for abortion providers by prohibiting those with over $500 million in annual revenue from qualifying as eligible Medicaid providers, effective May 6, 2026. The bill directly affects abortion clinics or providers meeting the revenue threshold, excluding hospitals from this restriction. Key provisions amend Utah Code Sections 26B-3-114 and 76-7-301 to define "elective abortion" and clarify that Medicaid funds cannot cover abortions unless the mother's life is endangered, excluding cases like rape, incest, or fatal fetal defects. This is a funding restriction, not an abortion ban, as it only impacts Medicaid reimbursement for specific providers.