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.
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.