Utah’s One Utah Health Collaborative has announced plans to investigate the factors driving up health care costs and increasing spending. Dr. Sri Bose, the director of research for the collaborative, highlighted the rise in healthcare spending, which has become a significant burden on state, employer, and family budgets.
Over the past five years, employee contributions for a premium family health care plan in Utah have increased by 35%, surpassing the average wage increase of 25% in the same period. Bose emphasized the need to measure spending and its trends to establish a sustainable and affordable health care system for all stakeholders in Utah.
The One Utah Health Collaborative is a nonprofit organization that was established in 2022 by Governor Spencer Cox with a 15-year initiative to improve Utah’s health care landscape through innovative strategies and insights from key leaders. The collaborative aims to develop a model health care system that is accessible and affordable for everyone in the state.
As part of its efforts, the collaborative announced the formation of a Technical Advisory Group comprising nine major insurers. These insurers will provide data and estimates related to total health care spending in Utah as well as trends shaping the industry. The members of this advisory group represent over 95% of Utahn’s with health insurance, ensuring that their analysis is comprehensive and accurate.
Jaime Wissler, executive director of the collaborative, underscored the importance of understanding growth rates of healthcare spending and underlying cost drivers. By evaluating and analyzing this data, Wissler aims to work collaboratively with stakeholders towards an affordable and accessible health care system that improves overall quality of life for all residents of Utah.
The participating insurance companies include Aetna, Cigna, Molina Healthcare of Utah Public Employment Health Plan (PEHP), Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah Select Health UnitedHealthcare University Medicaid Health Plans
