An organization called Common Sense Healthcare for Utah aims to put universal healthcare on the Utah ballot as soon as 2026. If passed, Utah could be the first state to offer universal healthcare to its citizens. 

According to the Common Sense plan, Utah would still get federal funding and employers would still get a credit from the federal government for providing healthcare, but instead of using that money to pay for private health insurance it would fund Utah Cares, a statewide trust that would pay for all of our medical bills directly. 

“We will continue to collect all state tax revenues currently spent on healthcare and, in addition, we will have the state collect employer premiums for health benefits,” Dr. Joe Jarvis, chair of the program says. “Then we will give that to a nonprofit private trust fund which will fund all healthcare in the state of Utah. Utah Cares will negotiate with hospitals about how they will take care of their patients and they will arrange to pay physicians for their services and all other health providers. As a resident of Utah, you would get a Utah Cares card that qualifies you to receive care and you'll walk into any hospital in the state and any doctor's office in the state and get care, and you won't have a bill after the fact.”