Article IV – Health
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2020 Health Committee Report
Introduction and Summary of Major Positions
Utah is one of the five healthiest states in the nation and first for individual healthy behaviors.[i] Recent Medicaid expansion provided financial access to medical care for an estimated 125,000 individuals. Nevertheless, opportunity for improvement remains. National polls document that health is a major concern to Americans.[ii] According to a recent Utah Foundation poll, health care (costs and accessibility) remains the top issue in Utah, and the coronavirus is tightly linked to each of the top five issues identified.[iii] Our positions on Utahns’ health and well-being include the following, all of which will be described more fully in the subsequent pages:
- Strengthening public health. Specific steps should be taken to strengthen the vision, role, and capacity of public health in the State of Utah.
- Learning from the state’s response. An independent review of the State’s response to COVID-19 should determine what was done well and what improvements could have been made, including recommendations for better management of future pandemics.
- Supporting Medicaid expansion. Utah should maintain Medicaid coverage for adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level and withdraw the waivers that create barriers to coverage.
- Improving emotional well-being. A thorough study should be completed to improve understanding of the causes of Utah’s high suicide and depression rates and then develop a plan for improvement, including access to quality prevention and treatment resources.
- Increasing immunization levels. The Department of Health should develop a plan to increase immunization levels and to optimize the use of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Improving infant mortality. The Department of Health should work closely with physicians to develop a plan to reduce infant mortality in the State of Utah.
- Determinants of health. State efforts to improve health should include reducing poverty, improving education, keeping people safe, and improving the quality of our environment.
- Guidelines for future health initiatives:
- Equity and Justice for all
- Optimization of financial resources
- Significant expansion of financial access
- Stabilization of health care financing
- Alignment of incentives that encourage appropriate behavior
- Administrative simplification
- Prevention and preparedness
- Uniform distribution of risk sharing
- Subsidies for the financially disadvantaged
End Notes:
[i] “America’s Health Rankings: 2018 Annual Report,” United Health Foundation, accessed September 11, 2020, https://www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2018-annual-report/findings-state-rankings.
[ii] Eric C. Schneider, “Health Care as an Ongoing Policy Project,” N Engl J Med (2020) 383, 405-408, accessed September 11, 2020, https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2021701.
[iii] “Utah Priorities 2020–What’s on Utah’s Mind: Voter Issues and Concerns in 2020,” Utah Foundation, accessed September 11, 2020, https://www.utahfoundation.org/reports/whats-on-utahs-mind-voter-issues-and-concerns-in-2020/.
Updated on December 1, 2020
Article 4 (Health) Committee Members