This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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 few months ago a friend of mine explained how he felt his family and others in a similar situation were "sucked in to the [welfare] system and it was hard to climb out." When I asked him for details, he explained how he and other disabled people he knew had a hard time accepting entry-level jobs because they often did not include benefits, or the premiums were too high (because of their disabilities, going without health coverage for a short time would be devastating).
Fortunately the ACA solved this issue by allowing people to work and still get Medicaid, up to a point where they can purchase subsidized private insurance. The Medicaid expansion is part of a multifaceted solution to getting people off government assistance.
Kyle Waters
Draper