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HHS Secretary Levitt Visits Utah Legislature, Urges State-led Health reforms and Pandemic Preparedness
Summary
Secretary Levitt told the Utah House that health-care spending has grown sharply and urged states to lead partnerships with the federal government to expand affordable basic coverage and bolster pandemic preparedness, including stockpiling antivirals.
Secretary Levitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, addressed the Utah House on Feb. 16, urging state officials to prepare for future pandemics and to pursue policies that make health care more affordable and comparable by value.
Levitt told lawmakers that health-care spending has risen dramatically over his lifetime and that Medicaid’s share of state budgets has climbed materially; he said this places pressure on other priorities such as education and highways. “What we have is a health-care sector,” he said, “not a system,” and he described his work to connect care through electronic health records and measures of quality and cost so competition can be based on value.
Representative Sheryl Allen, who had visited Levitt’s office, asked about ongoing pandemic preparations and cooperation with Canada and Mexico through the Security and Prosperity Partnership. Levitt said pandemic threats such as the H5N1 virus remain active worldwide and urged the state to continue preparations, including stockpiling antivirals like Tamiflu where appropriate. He said federal resources cannot be expected to meet every local need in a major outbreak and stressed that states and local communities must plan ahead.
During the question-and-answer period, lawmakers pressed Levitt on whether health-care reform will be federal or state-led. Levitt described two approaches: a single federal program or state-led partnerships with federal support. He said he favors organizing private markets at the state level and using federal support as a resource, citing the prescription-drug benefit rollout as an example where market choices and competition reduced costs and increased enrollment.
Levitt closed by urging collaboration with Utah’s leaders on affordable insurance options and noting that his priorities at HHS include creating a basic, affordable insurance policy for every American.
What's next: Levitt said he will meet with House and Senate leaders and welcomed additional questions from members; no formal state commitments were recorded during the visit.
