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Show to have-but collectively they do not add up to the kind of comprehensive health care reform Utah needs. There is absolutely no mystery about how to provide coverage to the tens of thousands of people who don't have it-you can either require individual coverage or employer-based coverage with adequate subsidies and cost controls, or you can have a Canadian-style insurance system. What is enormously difficult is finding the political will to implement any of the possible solutions. It is ironic that if Governor Leavitt had remained committed to his original plan of using a "decision jury" to make proposals to the public for a non-binding referendum, the political will to move forward may actually have developed. This year's "hot" political issue-the urgent need to rebuild 1-15-seems like it could be instructive for Utah citizens and policy- makers who are concerned about where HealthPrint is leading us. Notice what happens when Governor Leavitt and the state's main political and business leaders agree on the need to solve a problem. A ten year job is scheduled for completion in 4 years. A massive, publicly funded media campaign is devised to educate citizens. The State Legislature commits to come up with at least $1.2 billion dollars to fund the solution (a significantly higher figure than that required to bring all uninsured Utahns into the health care system). I could go on . . ., but there is no doubt that we can solve problems when we put our mind and our political will to it. For the HealthPrint map to get us where we need to go, Governor Leavitt must initiate and support a substantial change in direction and focus for Health Print, and access to health care must be given the same political and financial priority as the reconstruction of 1-15. About the Authors Patrick J. Johnson is the Executive Director of the Utah Health Policy Commission. He is also the Director of Government Relations for the Utah Department of Health. He is a graduate of the University of Utah's Master of Public Administration Program. Bill Crim is a long time advocate for health care reform. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Utah in 1991. He works for Utah Issues Information Program. Utah's Health: An Annual Review 1996 27 |