Utah residents face soaring medical expenses as hospital consolidation drives up costs

Utah's health-care expenditures rose 8.3% between 2022 and 2023, placing the state fourth nationwide for hospital costs and leaving almost seven-tenths of residents feeling financially strained. About 7% of Utahns carry medical debt that could lead to bankruptcy, while employer-based premiums outpace wages and inflation. Hospitalization charges are steep, with Primary Children’s Hospital billing an average of $23,630 per day in 2025, and a typical wrist MRI at University of Utah Health costing $2,198, most of which is a facility fee.

The state's health system is highly consolidated, dominated by Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health, a structure that reduces competition and enables executive pay of up to $26 million annually. These dynamics push families, especially low-wage workers, into difficult choices between essential medicines and basic living expenses. The author, a pediatrician, intends to discuss these issues with state lawmakers and urges other residents to do the same.