I decided to join the Utah Health Policy Project's Board of Trustees because I believe Utah is ready for fundamental change in how we finance health care. The UHPP has the expertise, skills, and understanding of the community to help facilitate lasting solutions to the health care challenge. 

-Former Governor Norman Bangerter
 
 

• Over 420,000 Utahns live without health insurance of any kind.  A similar number are underinsured.   The growth of Utah’s uninsured rate over the last year was 7 times the growth in the national uninsured rate.

• Our businesses are burdened by health care costs, and our families are frequently financially devastated by illness and injury. 

• Americans pay more for health care by a wide margin than do the residents of any other industrialized country; and yet only Americans are at risk for illness and death due to lack of health coverage. 

• Sixty percent of the $2 trillion Americans will spend on health care this year will come from state and federal taxes, making the American taxpayer the world’s most generous in paying for health care programs. 

• These facts combine to make health care policy the most difficult and perplexing domestic issue of our state and nation.  Optimal change in Utah’s health care system will occur only if the public is informed about basic health policy and economics. To that end, we have formed the Utah Health Policy Project.

The Utah Health Policy Project is a resource for the public, community leaders, businesses, health care providers and policy makers interested in strengthening Utah’s health care system while working to develop and implement visionary and systemic solutions to Utah’s health care crisis; incrementally expand access to affordable health coverage in ways that further systemic solutions, ensure sustainable and cost effective financing of state and Federal resources in Medicaid, CHIP, and other cost-effective health programs like Federally Qualified Health Centers and low-income clinics; work with the Medicaid provider and advocacy community to ensure timely access to quality health car services, and develop the statewide infrastructure and capacity to improve overall quality of care and reduce health disparities.
 
 

Pepper - do you want me to add the newsletter here?  This can scroll down as much as you would like - it would not be hard to add the newsletter here as discussed in the email...                - Andre (435) 631-0021 Cell