House changes IHC measure again

Lawmakers Tuesday could not resist tinkering with a measure already in its fifth substitute and amended several times to add yet another change.

SB61, sponsored by Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, was changed late on the House floor to broaden the scope of the examination by a two-year task force probing health care in Utah to include the impact of an Any Willing Provider law.

In the latest amendment approved, the task force's funding also was reduced from $400,000 to $300,000.

The measure takes some of the proposals incorporated in SB34, sponsored by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, and puts them up for study to determine the effect of Utah opening provider panels to any consumer, provided the hospital or doctor is willing to take 95 percent of the insurance plan's reimbursement rate.

If the changes are approved in the Senate and endorsed by the governor, the 15-member task force will undertake an exhaustive study probing, among other things, the competition in the health care marketplace, the tax-exempt status of IHC and the availability of health care to consumers.

As originally proposed, SB61 would have established a 3 percent gross receipts tax on Intermountain Health Care. It was later substituted to demand the health care organization divest itself of its insurance company. Eventually, IHC officials and legislative leadership agreed to a memorandum of understanding establishing the task force.

Rep. Rebecca Lockhart, R-Provo, who ran the measure in the House, said the task force represents a worthy effort that might settle the rancorous dispute over IHC, its business practices and allegations over its domination in the marketplace.

"This issue has plagued the Capitol over the last six weeks," she said. "It's safe to say this body and (the Senate) is concerned about this issue. . . . When we get answers we may decide to do something differently, or maybe we won't. But let's get it out there so we don't have to have this come up year after year."