Gov. Cox releases an updated version of his One Utah Roadmap

By

Patrick Jones

|

Governor Spencer Cox released a second version of his One Utah Roadmap which refines and resets his priorities for his administration for the next 250 days and beyond. The roadmap includes health security priorities, including a push towards value-based care and health care cost transparency. 

 

Stay one step ahead. Join our email list for the latest news.

Subscribe

 

In January 2021, Cox released the first version of the OneUtah Roadmap, which represented the administration’s plan for their first 500 days in office. According to Cox’s office, more than 100 state and community leaders assisted in developing this plan through policy suggestions they offered up to the Cox administration. 

Cox expressed his gratitude for the stakeholder engagement:

We’re overwhelmed by the generous time and commitment offered by such accomplished experts and community-minded volunteers. Like all well-used road maps, this One Utah Roadmap will be dog-eared and lovingly consulted over the next year and beyond. The road ahead will have detours, yield signs, fast and slow speeds, and bridges which we will navigate. We can’t thank all those involved in the transition enough for offering their best ideas to improve the lives of all Utahns.”

The first version of the roadmap comprised four major priorities in health care: combating COVID-19, access to care, value-based care and transparency, and social determinants of health. 

In combating COVID-19, Cox wants to refine the message of efficacy in vaccines and build trust between public health authorities and underserved communities. To better access care, Cox wants to ensure equitable coverage and implement improved cost transparency. 

His value-based care action items aim to bring providers and plans to the table to provide better transparency to patient’s health care costs and develop action plans to reduce racial disparities in health care. That will in turn focus on the social determinants of health and allow them to focus on the upstream drivers of improved health. 

In the second version, Cox notes that most of these priorities have been accomplished or delegated out to state agencies for implementation.

“It’s great to see so much progress in such a short time, but our work is far from finished. Roadmap Version 2 will keep us moving forward in ways that are both ambitious and accountable. As leaders, we’ll continue to think big and innovate for the benefit of all Utahns.”

However, Cox still places high importance and work on building up the value-based care model and creating greater transparency in the health care system. According to the roadmap, his goal is to enable Utahns to make the most informed decisions when it comes to their health care needs and costs. 

The roadmap says Cox plans to “transition to [a] value-based approach for health care by partnering with payers and providers to improve health care cost transparency.”

The roadmap will be reconstituted at the end of his first 500 days in office in May 2022.