Utah Health System Reform Task Force Prepares To Make Recommendations

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 16 Oct 2008 - 11:00 PDT

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The Utah Legislature's Health System Reform Task Force work groups are beginning to release details of recommendations for overhauling the state's health care system, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Mark Bair, chair of the work group comprising health care providers, said that all uninsured state residents would have to obtain coverage for reform to work, which will require affordable and portable health plans that are issued on a modified community rating. Coverage also would have to be available to residents with pre-existing health conditions.

Bair also said that tax advantages and choices would have to be maximized and a Web site with benefit and cost information would help consumers shop for coverage. In addition, the state would have to overhaul the medical malpractice system to reduce overutilization of health care services and offer incentives for people to lead healthier lives, Bair said.

Greg Poulson, an Intermountain Healthcare vice president and chair of the hospital group, said that the two biggest problems with health care are cost shifting from the uninsured to the insured and increased utilization of health care. According to Poulson, "fiscal and political realities are supportive of more incremental steps," although universal coverage is the ultimate goal. Poulson said that Utahns should be able to purchase "simple, value-oriented" policies that do not include expensive state mandates, and are administratively more simple, which reduces costs for both insurers and providers.

The community group called for a mandate that all Utahns obtain coverage. Judi Hilman, executive director of the Utah Health Policy Project, said, "We need to make some changes in the rules of the marketplace," adding, "The main one being the insurance companies should have to compete over the right thing, like keeping us healthy, and not over the wrong things, like avoiding risk" (Rosetta, Salt Lake Tribune, 10/14).

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