From Deseret News archives:
Health-care panel can't sum itself up
The final meeting of the Privately Owned Health Care Task Force was indicative of the body's previous meetings, which were often marked with contentious debate about the direction and goals of the committee.
Task force members spent Monday's meeting debating the wording of a conclusion to the committee's final report to the Legislature. Ultimately, the task force failed to come to a consensus and adjourned abruptly without taking any action.
Lawmakers have disagreed about the purpose of the task force, as well as the efficacy of an independent report, commissioned by the body at the price of $297,000, which found Utah enjoys a competitive health-care system that delivers quality care at reasonable prices.
The report also recommended the task force "refrain from intervention in Utah's health-care markets."
Which, ultimately, is what the task force did after nearly two years of meetings, countless hours of testimony and mountains of data, prompting Rep. Brad Last, R-St. George, to ask task force co-chairman Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-West Jordan: "In your view, are we at exactly the same place we were two years ago?"
And the compromise task force was hailed as a way to address the contentious issues surrounding Utah's health-care system, from costs to access.
Responding to Last's question, Waddoups said, "I make no apologies for this task force. I think this task force has done a yeoman's work. ... This examination needed to happen."
Waddoups proposed adding a concluding paragraph to the task force's final report, noting "there are issues in the Utah health care market that still exist," including patient choice, access to affordable care and a level playing field for competition.
Task force members proposed several changes to the text, including a suggestion that the body notes that it takes no position on future legislative measures related to health care.
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