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BETTER HEALTHCARE

The affordability and availability of healthcare continue to be an important issue for many Utahns across the state, especially in rural areas where the nearest hospital may be several hours away. But even along the Wasatch Front, high-quality care is still unattainable for many Utah families. And with recent attacks on Utahns’ medical freedom, reproductive care is now even harder—and may soon be impossible—for Utahns to access. Instead of pushing politics into doctors’ offices and intruding on some of the most personal and private decisions a person can make, our leaders should be trusting medical professionals and addressing the real, pressing concern of healthcare access and affordability.

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As Governor, Brian King will support: 

  • Expanding rural healthcare access and investing in rural broadband to support telehealth technology.

  • Creating and building upon programs that facilitate affordable healthcare for low-income and underserved communities.

  • Expanding access to maternal and postpartum care.

  • Providing better access to affordable and high-quality mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

  • Ensuring every Utahn has the right to decide when and how to start a family, free from government interference.

  • Trusting families and their medical professionals will result in better outcomes that leave the most personal, private, and impactful decisions to 104 legislators and the Governor. We need to get lawmakers out of our bedrooms and doctor’s offices. 

  • This bill allows for the licensing of abortion clinics, allows an abortion to be performed in an abortion clinic, removes the 72-hour waiting period before an abortion may be performed, and modifies the material that must be included in an information module and website concerning abortion.

  • This bill requires a study of mental health treatment and support systems to ensure better access to and delivery of mental health services.

  • This bill addresses mental health coverage requirements for health plans offered by certain governmental entities. requires health plans offered by a governmental entity that opts out of the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act to substantially comply with the act, including the act's financial requirements and treatment limitations. 

  • This bill allows an eligible employee to receive disability benefits arising out of mental health conditions for an objective medical impairment during a three-year pilot period regardless of whether the impairment is physical or mental.
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  • This bill requires certain facilities to develop policies regarding surgical smoke evacuation to protect the safety of patients and employees.

  • Requires a jail to provide a prisoner with the option of continuing certain medically prescribed methods of contraception.

  • This bill amends provisions related to the purposes of youth suicide prevention programs.

  • This bill limits the sale of certain tobacco and e-cigarette products.

  • This bill prohibits conversion therapy for minors.

  • This bill requires the University of Utah Health Sciences to select additional psychiatry residents.

  • This bill amends and creates requirements for pharmacy benefit managers.

  • This bill creates the statewide and local mental health crisis lines.

  • This bill requires the Department of Health to establish through a Medicaid waiver an ongoing program for children with disabilities and complex medical conditions.

  • Establishing a working group to study stress-related workers' compensation injuries for first responders.

  • This bill enacts provisions related to the transfer or discharge of a resident from an assisted living facility.

  • This bill seeks to establish Medicaid coverage for family planning and reproductive healthcare services.

  • This bill requires the Department of Health to ensure its regulations promote the health, safety, and welfare of patients of abortion services.

  • This bill modifies the duties of the state suicide prevention coordinator and requires the state suicide prevention coordinator to conduct a study on violent incidents that involve a gun.

  • This bill would implement Medicaid Expansion for Utah. 

  • This bill modifies the Motor Vehicles Code by enacting a restriction on smoking in a motor vehicle when a child is present.

  • This joint resolution of the Legislature strongly encourages the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to prioritize Utah for the construction of an additional veterans' nursing home.

  • This bill enacts the Retired Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act in the Occupations and Professions Code.

  • This bill enacts the Medical Language Interpreter Act within the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing Act.

  • This bill amends the Accident and Health Insurance part of the Insurance Code to provide coverage for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders and short bowel syndrome.

  • This bill amends the Hospital Lien Law. and prohibits hospitals from filing a lien for a patient’s balance of charges in certain cases. 

  • This resolution of the Legislature expresses support for public and private efforts to increase and improve cancer treatment screening and research programs.

LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

PUBLIC OPINION DATA

  • 7 in 10 Utahns faced a healthcare affordability burden in 2023.

  • 86% of Utahns worry about affording healthcare in the future.

  • Medical school graduates applying for residencies in Utah declined by 1000 in 2023, likely due to strict abortion policies. 

  • 55% of Utah adults believe that higher quality healthcare comes at a higher cost.

  • 80% of Utahns believe there should be state funding for reproductive health services including family planning and birth control for lower-income individuals.

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