During the 2024 fiscal year, funding for Medicaid was approximately $5.3 billion in Utah -- 68% of it came from the federal government, with the remaining 32% from state funds and other revenue, according to a study by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

As of February 2025, about 10% of Utah's population rely on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program for health care services. The public health programs serve over 353,000 people in the state, according to a study by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.

"Since Utah adopted Medicaid in 1966, changes in federal requirements and within the Utah Medicaid program have expanded coverage to new population groups, such as low-income adults, and additional services like behavioral health," Maddy Oritt, senior public finance economist at the Gardner Institute, said in a news release.

Those Utahns, who are usually eligible for the coverage because of their limited income and resources, may be especially vulnerable in case of cuts to federal programs under the Trump administration.

The U.S. House voted to approve a budget resolution that instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to reduce the nation's deficit by at least $880 billion through 2034. While the proposal doesn't specifically name Medicaid, it is expected that the program will inevitably face substantial cuts so that the committee can reach that goal, since it's a significant part of the committee's jurisdiction.

The cuts would also mean other economic losses for Utah. According to Axios Salt Lake City, the state would lose 7,500 jobs in 2026 alone, $727 million to its GDP, and about $51.3 million in lost state and local tax revenue.

During the 2024 fiscal year, funding for Medicaid was approximately $5.3 billion in Utah -- 68% of it came from the federal government, with the remaining 32% from state funds and other revenue, according to the report.

"When viewed as a share of each county's total population, Medicaid enrollment is highest in San Juan County (30.0%), Carbon County (22.5%), and Duchesne County (20.9%)," Gardner Institute analysts wrote in the report.

After Utahns voted to expand Medicaid eligibility for adults with annual incomes of up to 138% the federal poverty level, individuals with wages below about $21,600 annually and families of four earning less than roughly $44,400 per year qualify for coverage. The programs are also available for low-income children, some caretakers, pregnant women and people with disabilities.