Another Fox is Added to Group Investigating Why the Chickens are Disappearing.
Representative Brad Last of St. George has been trying to get Intermountain Health Care's attention for the past 10 years without success. You see, Last owns Home Health Services, the parent company that owns home health care companies in Southern Utah, Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Prescott, Arizona. His company in the southwestern region, Southern Utah Home Care and Hospice, has offices throughout the region, in St. George, Hurricane, Kanab, Cedar City, Enterprise, and Mesquite, Nevada.
Representative Last's company provides excellent service and has a sterling reputation. For this reason he has been frustrated with IHC's refusal to allow his company to serve their patients and, until recently, he has been vocal about it.
You see, 18 months ago Last was appointed to the Utah Legislature's "The Privately Owned Health Care Organization Task Force." The task force was born out of a 2005 legislative effort to tax and later break up Intermountain HealthCare.
Now Last's frustrations with IHC has come to an end. We learned three days ago he was awarded a large contract with IHC giving him access to IHC's patients. IHC usually awards these types of contracts by requesting multiple bids from health care providers. In this case, the bidding process was eliminated and the contract went directly to Last.
I spoke with Last on Thursday, May 11. He told me his contract with IHC was no big deal and in fact he thought he might lose money on the contract. He said his company's services were so needed that, out of a desire to help the people in his area, he would lose money.
When I asked him if the contract was awarded to influence his favor on the task force he said,
"There is no doubt I got the contract because of my membership on the task force. If I wasn't on the task force I would not have received the contract."
Last promised me his new relationship would not bias him in favor of IHC.
Last joins four other members of the task force who are severely IHC conflicted. Reps. Greg Curits and David Clark are married to an IHC employees. Reps Stephen Clark and James Dunnigan serve on IHC boards.
Another fox is added to group of foxes investigating why the chickens are disappearing!!
