One Utah Health Collaborative announces trailblazing task force to set state’s first healthcare spending growth target

Salt Lake City – August 21st, 2023 – Today, the One Utah Health Collaborative announced a new Task Force consisting of members from its Community Stakeholder Board. The Healthcare Spending Target Task Force will determine Utah’s first statewide healthcare spending growth target.

A report detailing the selected healthcare spending growth target and other key decisions will be delivered to Gov. Spencer Cox by December 31, 2023.

The Task Force is co-chaired by Commissioner Jon Pike of the Department of Insurance, and Derek Miller, CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber.

Healthcare Spending Target Task Force

• Co-Chair: Jon Pike, Insurance Commissioner, State of Utah
• Co-Chair: Derek Miller, President and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance
• Rob Allen, President and CEO, Intermountain Health
• Greg Angle, President, HCA Healthcare
• Scott Barlow, CEO, Revere Health
• Jim Dunnigan, Utah House of Representatives
• Dr. Michael L. Good, CEO, University of Utah Health
• Brandon Hendrickson, President, Molina Healthcare
• Rob Hitchcock, President and CEO, SelectHealth
• Aadam Hussain, Interim President, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah
• Dr. Mike Kennedy, Utah State Senator
• Chet Loftis, Managing Director, PEHP Health and Benefits
• Dr. Mary Pennington, President and CEO, Granger Medical Clinic
• Alan Pruhs, Executive Director, Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH)
• Jim Sheets, Group President, CommonSpirit
• Matt Slonaker, Executive Director, Utah Health Policy Project (UHHP)
• Jen Strohecker, Medicaid Director, Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Chad Westover, CEO, University of Utah Health Plans

The Task Force will meet five times between now and December to participate in the development of a healthcare spending recommendation for the state with assistance from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Their goal is to answer the question, how much should healthcare spending grow for Utah families and businesses each year? Currently, annual changes vary year to year but average nearly 7 percent.

Several states have made significant strides in addressing healthcare spending growth through the implementation of cost growth targets. However, Utah is now pioneering a distinctive approach with the independent One Utah Health Collaborative to foster consensus among influential stakeholders rather than receiving a government-set target. This innovative strategy demonstrates Utah’s commitment to tackling healthcare spending in a collaborative and inclusive manner, bringing together key parties to collectively address the challenge of rising costs in a rapidly growing state. By embracing this unique initiative, Utah aims to pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient healthcare system.

As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, Utah’s healthcare expenditures are increasing rapidly. The cost of health insurance is rising much faster than family income, and more than half of Utah adults are delaying or foregoing health care due to costs.

Average Annual Percent Growth in Per Capita Health Care Expenditures, 2010-2020

Note: Health care expenditures include spending for all privately and publicly funded personal health care services and products. Data does not indicate it is inflation-adjusted. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group. National Health Expenditure Data: Health Expenditures by State of Residence, August 2023.

Average Annual Growth in Utah’s Family Income Compared to Health Insurance Premiums, 2011-2021

Note: Income is median family income. Premiums represent average employee contributions for private-sector employees enrolled in family coverage. Inflation-adjusted (2021). Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data and Census Bureau, American Community Survey data.

About the One Utah Health Collaborative (the Collaborative):
Last fall, Gov. Spencer Cox launched the One Utah Health Collaborative (the Collaborative), a community-owned 501c3 nonprofit designed to improve the trajectory of health care in the state. Gov. Spencer Cox recognized reducing the growth of healthcare spending does not occur in an election cycle and set up a 15-year process designed to outlast his tenure. Since beginning operations in September 2022, the Collaborative has laid a foundation to reduce healthcare spending in Utah using a consensus-based approach with key leaders from the healthcare community. To get involved visit uthealthcollaborative.org.