U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt spoke to about 125 Utah business people and health professionals in Salt Lake City about the federal government's Value-driven Health Care initiative.

The former Utah governor also appeared before the Utah House and Senate.

The Bush administration hopes to create "basic and affordable" health insurance plans for uninsured working families as well as improve quality and value in health care for everyone by having health care providers nationwide implement what Leavitt calls four "cornerstones." Those areas include participating in a national electronic medical records system; setting standards and evaluating doctors and hospitals, then and making such reports available to the public; and ensuring consumers can compare health care prices.

"The result will be better health, lower cost for all Americans," he told the crowd during a 45-minute presentation at the Salt Lake City Main Library.

Even though the federal government pays for 40 percent of health care in the country, it had not been active in health care debates until last summer, when President Bush made it a priority.

"Without federal leadership, it is simply impossible to achieve critical mass in an effort to change the system," Leavitt said.

But, he said it is going to be up to the states to determine what is "basic and affordable" health care.

Leavitt has presented the initiative in 20 states since November. About 200 companies nationwide have signed up to support the initiative; the 16 of them in Utah include Qwest Communications of Utah, Zions Bancorporation, Rocky Mountain Power, Ivory Homes and Intermountain Healthcare Inc.

There are an estimated 300,000 people in Utah - about 15 percent of the state's population - without health insurance, said Suzette Green-Wright, the state health insurance director.

Green-Wright said the federal initiative sounds like a great idea. She said it would be good to get people on an entry-level health insurance plan without access to hospital care. That way they can at least go to the doctor to help manage their health before having to go to the hospital, she said.

"We have to do something to bring the costs down," Green-Wright said. "We're spiraling into trouble if we don't."

D. Scott Ideson, president of Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah, signed the statement of support. He hopes the changes will provide people with better health care information and affordable plans.

"The health care sector needs to transform for people to have access to care," he said.

jsanchez@sltrib.com