It is unknown what level of organized opposition IHC will encounter in this fight. Among potential opponents are competing hospitals, insurance companies, non-IHC doctors, specialty care clinics and even trial lawyers. They have competing interests among themselves, of course, but if they find common ground on a couple of points and put some money toward a sophisticated campaign with the right timing and messaging, they could make life miserable for IHC.

This issue obviously should be decided on its merits, and IHC leaders are confident the outcome will be just fine as long as the task force relies upon objective data and analysis produced by independent experts who really know what they're doing. But they worry that competitors and critics will regale the task force with a lot of anecdotes about IHC abuses and problems. IHC says it will fully open its books to analysts, and it expects its competitors to do the same.

The issue ultimately comes down to whether we want aggressive managed care by a large, integrated health-care system that provides good service and holds down prices but, by its nature, is restrictive for both patients and doctors. I would love to see a truly free market in health care. But it does not exist, and IHC is a pretty good alternative.

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Republican LaVarr Webb was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. He now is a political consultant and lobbyist. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. A former candidate for Salt Lake mayor, Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as House minority leader. Pignanelli's spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is executive director of the state Department of Administrative Services in the Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. administration. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.