Rep. David Clark, R-Santa Clara, said his bill takes action now to create tax credits, worth $18 million, for Utahns who buy their own health insurance and seeks ways to expand public subsidies to help lower-income Utahns with premiums. It creates an Office of Consumer Health Services and invests in data collection to help consumers choose providers.

Three bills would boost enrollment in public health insurance plans like the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid, including one passed by the House that removes a cap on the number of Utah children who can get CHIP.

Other bills take aim at hospitals and insurers. Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, wants to make it easier for Utahns to "swing out" to providers outside their HMOs or PPOs; he also wants to prohibit hospitals with more than a quarter of the licensed beds in a county from giving discounts to insurance companies in return for restricting where customers can seek care.

SB74 and SB121 were voted out of a committee and headed for the Senate floor.

- Lisa Rosetta