Health Care

Health care is becoming one of the greatest worries — even in financially stable communities.

Utah does many things well. We have excellent physicians, innovative health systems, and communities that care deeply about one another. But affordability and long-term security remain real concerns — especially for aging residents on fixed incomes and young families trying to build a stable future. Here’s something we don’t talk about enough: when people go without health coverage, the cost doesn’t disappear. It shows up later — often in an emergency room — at a much higher price that the entire system absorbs. Lack of access creates fear for families and higher costs for everyone.

Utah can do better. Our communities are built on the belief that we care for one another — a principle rooted deeply in Utah’s tradition of service and neighbor helping neighbor. Around the world, systems that reward prevention and early care often lower costs while improving outcomes. Right now, much of American health care pays more to treat illness than to maintain health. That upside-down incentive deserves honest conversation.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I believe leadership starts by asking smarter questions.

When Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts, leaders worked across differences to expand health coverage, and that system continues to serve people today. Utah doesn’t need to copy another state. But we should be curious enough —and brave enough — to study what works. If elected, I will call on Senator Romney and others with firsthand experience building practical, bipartisan health care solutions.

Utah currently ranks #17 in state health system performance. Nearly every developed nation — and many states — have found ways to guarantee access to care, each using different models shaped by their own values. So the question for Utah isn’t whether we copy someone else’s system. The question is: what can we learn that fits our values, our communities, and our people? That’s a conversation I want all of us to have — together.