Health Care and Life Sciences
The Gardner Institute employs a senior health care analyst and a team of economists knowledgeable about Utah’s health care policies and economy. We also benefit from a Health Care Advisory Council that guides our research agenda and supports the development of a health care policy practice area. Our research focus areas include, but are not limited to: (1) analyzing state and national health care trends; (2) collaborating with health care experts and community leaders to analyze relevant health care policy; and (3) conducting research and preparing data on Utah’s health care sector.
Staying Ahead of the Curve: Utah’s Future Health Care Needs
Utah is known as a low-cost, healthy state, but the factors that help us maintain our position as one of the healthiest states in the country are changing. Rising health care expenditures, a growing senior population, and a changing demographic profile will impact Utah's future health care needs. This report provides data and information on Utah’s changing demographic profile and evolving demands for health care.
Social Determinants of Health: A National Perspective
The majority of a person's health is impacted by factors outside of the health care system: genetics, social, environmental, and behavioral. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes (HealthyPeople.gov).
The Root of the Issue: Utah’s Social Determinants of Health Symposium Proceedings
On August 17, 2018, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Hatch Center for Civility & Solutions jointly hosted the annual Kem C. Gardner Policy Symposium “The Root of the Issue: Utah’s Social Determinants of Health.” The symposium focused on strategies and innovations for addressing social determinants of health, which are the conditions in which people are born, live, work, and play that affect their health risks and outcomes.
Social Determinants of Health: Data Points
What are social determinants of health? The majority of a person's health is impacted by factors outside of the health care system: genetics, social, environmental, and behavioral. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. (HealthyPeople.gov)
Economic Impacts of Utah’s Life Sciences Industry
The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and BioUtah, the trade association for life sciences companies in the state, commissioned the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to analyze the role of the life sciences industry in Utah’s economy.
Fact Sheet: The Economic Contribution of Utah’s Life Science Industry
Utah’s life science industry comprises a diverse spectrum of economic activity, from research and development to manufacturing, providing goods, services, and technologies that advance personal health.
Utah’s Expanding Medicaid Coverage: Three Scenarios
After years of debating whether and how to expand Medicaid coverage to uninsured adults who do not currently qualify for the program, Utah is poised to move forward with one of three changes to its Medicaid program in 2019. This policy brief helps Utah voters, policy makers, and business and community leaders better understand and compare the proposed changes to Utah’s Medicaid program. It includes information on program elements, federal and state costs, lessons learned from other states, and policy concerns associated with each scenario. A summary of key information on the proposed changes is provided below.
Family Planning Elevated
Facilitated deliberative work session for Family Planning Elevated’s Stakeholder Convening, and provided discussion guide consultation
Economic Impact of Utah’s Family Choice Behavioral Healthcare Interventions Industry
Utah is home to 72 Family Choice and Behavioral Healthcare Interventions Industry programs. These programs provide varying levels of residential treatment for teens and young adults and are primarily funded by families “out-of-pocket,” i.e. the industry is not health insurance-driven. The industry generates an economic impact in Utah by bringing in revenue from out-of-state clients, over 90 percent of industry revenue comes from outside of Utah, and through the travel expenditures of clients’ families.