The fledgling 15-member legislative task force examining health-care delivery in Utah is already thick into the diversity of opinions regarding Intermountain Health Care, evidenced Thursday in a marathon meeting that in one breath extolled the corporation's virtues and in the next chastised it for predatory business practices.

No matter the opinions, what clearly emerged is the monumental task before the group, even given its generous two-year deadline to reach a conclusion and its ample budget of $300,000.

"This is a horrendous list of items to be looked at," said Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo. "We are talking about some major, major issues," with the potential for significant impact on Utah residents.

Much of the five-hour meeting, in fact, centered on what topics the task force should embrace for particular areas of study emphasis, drawing on input from the Utah Medical Association, the Utah Hospital Association, IHC itself and its competitors.

"IHC is clearly a dominant factor in the marketplace," said Kent Mitchie, the state's insurance commissioner, who added that as the task force begins its scrutiny of health care in Utah, several factors merit consideration.

"There are recurring perceptions of monopolistic practices, there are recurring perceptions of heavy-handed collection practices." He also stressed that task force members should probe the idea of who "owns" IHC, especially given its tax-exempt status, which conveys the impression it is a community asset.

"If it is a community asset, does the government have a role" in exercising authority to ensure accountability and oversight?

"The board of trustees are pillars of the community, but are they accountable to anybody?"

That issue of accountability, market penetration and allegations of IHC's exclusive practices that impede patient access and squeeze out other health-care providers led to the "firestorm" in the past legislative session that eventually prompted the formation of the task force.

While IHC officials adamantly deny they enjoy monopolistic control of the market, do not engage in heavy-handed debt collection practices or exclude other practitioners, they do concede their size prompts criticism, and the glare of attention has them instituting changes.

"Clearly the last legislative session showed us our bigness has had us acting in ways that are disruptive," said Bill Nelson, IHC's president and chief executive officer.

"We want to be gentler, kinder and better for our community."