But after years of living with undiagnosed stomach troubles and mounting medical bills that forced her into bankruptcy this fall, Toponce, 23, is dubious whether Healthy Utah — unveiled in detail Thursday — or any solution the Utah Legislature devises will help her.
"I don’t think there’s much hope it will change," says Toponce, who lives in Kaysville and works as a waitress in Roy. "There will always be people like me falling into a bracket who will be screwed."
Herbert, who surrounded himself by a phalanx of medical, insurance, business, religious and charitable leaders at a news conference Thursday, said Utah should provide concrete help in the face of such discouragement.
"These are our neighbors, our friends and our family members," said the governor. "Turning a blind eye and doing nothing is really not the Utah way."
The governor faces a skeptical Legislature, though, especially after he and lawmakers learned this week that any alternative to expanding traditional Medicaid will cost millions more than previously thought.
