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Richard Piatt ReportingThe future of health care in Utah could be influenced by a group whose members are officially being kept secret, at least for now. But Eyewitness News has uncovered that secret.
Our investigation shows The Utah Healthcare Coalition is getting money, not just from individuals, but health care providers who have a stake in what happens at the Legislature.
You should know, there's a lot at stake behind the scenes at the Capitol. The future of you and your family's health care, could depend on decision-makers and the people who talk to them.
To try and address rising costs and access problems in Utah, the Utah Legislature, two years ago, took on the hot-button notion of splitting up Intermountain Health Care.
The idea was to undercut IHC's dominance in the state. But lawmakers instead formed a Health Care Task Force.
Amon those who say they're watching the process on your behalf is Consumer Advocate Roger Ball, part of the Utah Healthcare Coalition.
Roger Ball, Utah Healthcare Coalition: "The Utah Healthcare coalition is concerned the health care is too costly and too complicated."
But just who else is part of the Utah Healthcare Coalition? Where does it get its money? Ball declines--politely--to answer those questions.
Roger Ball, Utah Healthcare Coalition: "The issue in my view is not just who is a member, but what is the coalition actually able to accomplish."
We're not the only ones wondering. The State Department of Commerce also wants more information out of the non-profit group, but hasn't gotten it.
Francine Gianni, Utah Department of Commerce: "At this point, he is not in compliance. We have told him not to fundraise because that would be a violation in addition."
But Eyewitness News has learned the names of a few of the members, not only citizens and individual doctors but IHC competitors like Regence Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Mountain Star, and others. Notably absent from the list is IHC, which wanted to join.
Wesley Thompson, Intermountain Health Care: "We were told we could not. And I've tried to contact Mr. Ball to talk about health care for the needy and have not had a response yet."
Ball says he's keeping the membership confidential out of concern over retaliation from IHC. Even so, the lack of disclosure issue has also attracted the attention of members of the legislative task force, who are puzzled and troubled at the same time.
Rep. Greg Curtis, House Speaker: "The oddity of all this is Roger Ball, when he was with consumer services, was all about transparency, all about openness. Now, it's like, I don't have to say..."
Rep. Pat Jones, (D) Holladay: "Automatically, we're wondering, whose side are they on, who are they representing? This should be fully disclosed to all of us."
Whatever the task force recommends, the Utah Health Care Coalition and Roger Ball will probably be a part of it, with or without a clear picture of who the group is.
Roger Ball insists the group is trying to maintain privacy and integrity, and if one of those elements slips, he says he plans to drop out.
