In Cache County, public sector employers will spend over $120 million in 2025 on employee medical insurance premiums. Taxpayers will spend $2,800 annually in taxes across the 43,000 households in Cache County. Factor these numbers across the entire state of Utah and taxpayers will spend close to $3 billion in 2025, just for medical insurance premiums.
Now, put this data into context as public entities grapple with truth and taxation hearings. Citizens have a right to be upset and to question increased taxes. I’m one of them. But let’s understand where our money is going. In my short two years of public service on the school board, health care has been one of our most significant challenges. We are handcuffed to spiraling, out-of-control health care. Is it morally acceptable for a health care system to charge $24,000 a year for a schoolteacher to receive medical insurance for a high-deductible family premium, or $33,000 a year for our police officers and firefighters? No. We should be putting more money in public servants’ pockets in the form of wages rather than padding corporate revenues of health care providers and carriers. More must be done.
Brian Chambers
Wellsville