SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 It was a full house at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center as health officials, lawmakers, and community members gathered to discuss the current and future landscape of health care in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we face significant uncertainty in the health policy landscape,\u201d one keynote speaker said during the event.<\/p>\n
Much of the discussion focused on the impacts of HR1<\/a>, or the One Big Beautiful Bill<\/a> Act, which was implemented last year and includes major cuts to federal health care funding.<\/p>\n According to keynote speaker Edwin Park, a research professor at Georgetown University, the state is expected to see a reduction of about $5 billion in Medicaid spending as a result of the legislation.<\/p>\n Park said roughly 77,000 Utahns have already lost Medicaid benefits, and that number could grow to as many as 150,000 once remaining funds are exhausted.<\/p>\n \u201cState policymakers are really going to have to figure out how they could find other revenues to spend to support the Medicaid program, and take advantage of whatever options there are under the law to make these cuts less harsh,\u201d Park said.<\/p>\n He also urged residents to take action now by reaching out to organizations such as Take Care Utah<\/a> to prepare for potential changes to their health care coverage.<\/p>\n With Utah\u2019s legislative session set to begin next Tuesday, Park is encouraging residents to contact their lawmakers and advocate for solutions to address the anticipated Medicaid cuts.<\/p>\n