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| Last updated on March 17, 2008 |
The Utah Health Policy Project is dedicated to creating quality, comprehensive, affordable health care coverage for all Utahns through research, policy advocacy, and civic engagement activities.
Description:
The Utah Health Policy Project is dedicated to bold health system reforms that result in quality, comprehensive, and affordable health care coverage for all Utahns. Health reform will be at least a three year process, and UHPP looks forward to working with the business community, providers, advocates, consumers and governmental partners over the years on the reforms. As the state moves forward with health reform, we agree with the Governor‘s Work Group on the Uninsured, that reforms should be as robust as possible and structured to address cost, quality and access. Otherwise, efforts will result in further cost shifting and perpetuation of current inequities and inefficiencies.
While UHPP agrees that Utah‘s health system must be consumer driven, the consumer aspect of the system should be a means toward an end. The ultimate aim should reflect the goals of:
- Containing COST
- Increasing QUALITY and
- Expanding ACCESS to
affordable, quality coverage.
For health system reforms of the magnitude that are needed, the right framework is essential for success. The most significant elements of true health system reform (the need to leverage and make better use of Medicaid and CHIP, an essential basic benefit package, a benefit commission, quality improvement and transparency, guaranteed issue/community rating, and individual and employer requirements) are interdependent, and should not be attempted piecemeal.
Last fall the United Way Financial Stability Council looked at models from other states and proposed a marketplace facilitator as a mechanism for facilitating portability, uniform risk management and quality standards, transparency, and free market competition. No matter how it is configured, the marketplace facilitator should be the platform for the private market reforms. HB133 creates a similar mechanism called the Office of Consumer Health Services. As the reforms move forward, the functions of this office will need to be evaluated and strengthened to facilitate the goals of reform. Our comments will highlight and expand upon these and other key table-setting measures and offer suggestions to strengthen the overall framework for health system reform.
Contact person: Stacey Earle, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (801) 433-2298
Address:
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455 E 400 S, Suite 312
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.healthpolicyproject.org
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