Wanted: Your Health Stories.

Mar 28, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) The Utah Health Policy project wants to bring the public into the health reform process. The project's staff, led by Director Judi Hilman, is collecting health stories to share with lawmakers as they study how to improve the state's health-care system.

"Ultimately it's the public, especially those uninsured or underinsured, or small businesses who are keeping our economy going but really not able to live with the problem the way it is," Hilman says. "So it's really those perspectives that are going to be most helpful for building these reforms."

Hilman and her colleagues will participate in several of the subcommittees meeting in conjunction with the legislative Health Reform Task Force. Over the next year, lawmakers and stakeholders will study how to improve the way health-care is delivered in Utah. Hilman says people's stories will humanize the policy decisions for lawmakers.

"The stories are going to be, more than anything else, what will demonstrate the need," Hilman says. "The need for the reforms and whatever coverage options we come up with to be affordable. The need for the benefit package to be reasonably comprehensive. The need to ensure that at the end of the day there's enough money to go to the doctor and get the preventative visits that we all need to be healthy."

Those interested in sharing their stories can contact the Utah Health Policy Project by phone or e-mail. A link to the Project is available here.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW