This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It has been three years of foot-dragging and head-scratching. But leaders of the Utah Legislature may finally be ready to do what they should have done a long time ago.

No, not just expand Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. That would reward President Obama for his greatest accomplishment, and that just isn't done around here.

But we are now told that the Gang of Six, top state officials who were working out how to pay for the locally invented Healthy Utah alternative, have finally picked up on an obvious option that has been staring them in the face all along. They will impose taxes and/or fees on hospitals, doctors and the pharmacy business — who will probably gain more from Healthy Utah than most of the currently uninsured humans ever will — to help pay for Healthy Utah.

Might it have something to do with the news that one of the people who told the lawmakers she needed Healthy Utah or she might die has, well, died? Could be.

Of course Utah should tax health care providers — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

" ... taxes on the health care and health insurance sectors have been part and parcel of the ACA right along. That's why the Congressional Budget Office has always scored Obamacare as a net deficit reducer over time. ...

" ... The Utah Hospital Association has long accepted the idea that it should help pay for health care access expansion. Doctors and the pharmacy industry, we are told, were less accommodating. But the greatly increased number of paying customers they will receive will far offset any new taxes or fees they might be assessed.

"The Legislature should make this deal, speed through the numerous loose ends, expand access to health care, and start avoiding those avoidable deaths."

Breakthrough: Utah GOP leaders reach a deal on Medicaid expansion — Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune

While Medicaid debate drags on, Utahns are dying — Robert Gehrke and Kristen Moulton | The Salt Lake Tribune

"Legislative leaders are working on an agreement to expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of uninsured, low-income Utahns, but even if a deal is struck, it will be far too late for Carol Frisby.

"Frisby died Monday from cancer, years after she first showed symptoms but couldn't get the colonoscopy her doctor recommended because the screening wasn't covered by the state's Primary Care Network. ..."

Medicaid Expansion Debate Hits Home for Hughes — Bob Bernick | Utah Policy

"If it hadn't already, Medicaid expansion got personal for Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes on Wednesday.

"Hughes was told by Rep. Raymond Ward, R-Bountiful, in an open GOP House caucus, that a woman Hughes had met with in March, Carol Frisby of Taylorsville, had died on Monday from colon cancer.

"Hughes looked stunned. He took from Ward a note written to Hughes by Frisby on Saturday – when Ward and his wife visited Frisby and her husband, Brent, at the hospital.

"And put it in his suit pocket.

"When UtahPolicy asked Hughes after the caucus meeting if the state's refusal up to now to extend Medicaid benefits to low-income people was killing Utahns, Hughes seemed lost for words, upset.

"Then said he had to go to his office and left without answering the question. ..."

Republicans should listen to John Kasich — E.J. Dionne | The Washington Post

" ... [Ohio Gov. John Kasich] fought to have his state accept the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. He made his case on moral grounds, arguing that at heaven's door, St. Peter is 'probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor'..."

In the spirit of humanity, let's adopt Healthy Utah — David Sundwall | For The Deseret News

" ... Having served as a doctor to many folks on Medicaid over the years, I would like to help dispel some of the negative stereotypes I hear repeatedly about them ..."

Because we're all dependent, Utah should pass health care reform — Michael Stapley | For The Deseret News

" ... Over a 30-year career, I have chaired many health reform task initiatives, both within Utah and at the national level. One thing became clear in any discussion of the issue; nearly everyone who has health care coverage is dependent on someone else to pay for it. ..."

With Medicaid expansion, Walker keeps his word and does right by Alaska — Shannyn Moore | The Alaska Dispatch News

"Have you heard about the Kentucky haves and the Tennessee have-nots? Residents of towns only a five-minute walk from one another now have a huge divide in their ability to access health care.

"In May 2013, Kentucky's governor, Steve Beshear, without support from his legislature, expanded Medicaid for his state, qualifying what he thought would be 308,000 citizens for coverage; the real number turned out to be more than 600,000. Beshear's decision brought on a lawsuit from a Tea Party activist who failed to convince the Kentucky courts that expansion had to be ratified by the legislature. (Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin of West Virginia also expanded Medicaid by executive order.)

"Tennessee did not expand Medicaid. Its legislature shut it down, arguing that bringing billions of federal dollars to the state and providing medical care to its citizens would add to the federal debt. Even though Tennessee accepts $11.1 billion a year from the federal government, it just couldn't, in good conscience, accept federal money to cover their low-income citizens.

"This week our governor, Bill Walker, expanded Medicaid for 42,000 Alaskans by executive order. Bravo! We've joined the liberal bastions of Kentucky and West Virginia! ..."

And Utah?