Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (UDHHS) received a Medicaid Entitlement block grant award of $2.9 billion from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) under the Grants to States for Medicaid program (CFDA 93.778). The award, dated October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2026, provides financial assistance to Utah for medical payments on behalf of eligible low-income populations, including cash assistance recipients, children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and other categorically eligible groups who meet specified income and resource requirements. The funding supports quarterly disbursements to enable the state to deliver essential healthcare services to Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries through participating providers within Utah's healthcare system.

As the administering state agency, UDHHS operates under an HHS-approved Medicaid State Plan and is responsible for distributing these quarterly entitlement funds to eligible individuals across the state. The block grant structure allows Utah to manage medical assistance payments for its eligible populations while maintaining compliance with all federal regulations governing the Medicaid program. UDHHS's experience administering multiple federal health and human services grants positions it to effectively allocate and manage these substantial entitlement funds to serve vulnerable populations throughout Utah's 29 counties.