General Assistance Medical Program – Utah

Budget cuts restrict medical care for poor, By Julia Lyon, March 3, 2010, Salt Lake Tribune: “One year after an emergency room doctor noticed a disturbing spot on Deborah Davis’ kidney, the recovering alcoholic who has been homeless for years is finally trying to find out if she has cancer. But if she needs a kidney removed, she may be one year too late to get help from Utah. This January, the state stopped enrolling poor, disabled clients for short-term monthly cash payments known as General Assistance, intended to keep them afloat until they receive federal disability benefits. Being enrolled in GA also allowed people to apply for state money for one-time medical procedures. Fixing a hernia or carpal tunnel syndrome — more typical procedures than Davis’ kidney surgery — allows a recipient to go back to work, stop relying on public benefits and prevent a long-term disability. Fewer and fewer Utahns have access to that support. In the past few years, state budget cuts reduced GA by millions of dollars and shortened the amount of time clients receive aid, resulting in hundreds of people losing benefits…”