Utah
July 11, 2025 by Joe Jarvis, M.D.
State-based SP organizations
Utah Cares https://utahcares.vote/
American Health Security Project (AHSP): https://americanhealthsecurityproject.org
State-based SP bills:
Since last year we have drafted a statute: The Utah Cares Act (find it here: https://utahcares.vote/utahcares_summary/). If enacted, it would establish a state financed and regulated universal health cooperative. It provides for the conversion of Utah’s Public Employee Health Plan into Utah Cares, a health financing program for all Utahns that will create a publicly funded, not for profit health trust, a centrally managed financier of privately delivered health care services.
The goal of the AHSP is the creation of a comprehensive system of health care that is non-profit and publicly funded. It should include essential benefits such as dental, vision, audiology, and mental health services, be universal, and must remove all financial barriers from seeking care. It will prioritize cost savings for the system and fair financing for patients in that it will remove all financial barriers to care at the point of service. Governance will be transparent and accountable.
Advantages for SP in the current context
Goals for SP movement in UT 2025-26
Now that the Utah Cares Act (single payer legislation) has been drafted, the Utah Cares Political Issue Committee (Utah’s single payer advocacy organization) is seeking the financial and public support necessary to get the bill on the ballot. An initial application to the Lt Gov of Utah was rejected, due to an outrageously incorrect fiscal impact statement from the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst operated by the Utah Legislature.
We are drawing attention to the need for health system reform by featuring the documentary film “Healing US”, which Dr. Joseph Q. Jarvis, chair of Utah Cares PIC, produced. Find a link to the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oovXwK0vaGM
Utah Cares encourages all those who watch the film to make a donation. (Donate here; https://secure.actblue.com/donate/utahcares).
Where can people find news about Single Payer in your state and/or join (or donate to) a group?