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Voices: My health care costs are about to triple. Utah’s elected officials refuse to help.

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Voices: My health care costs are about to triple. Utah’s elected officials refuse to help.


I grow more and more angry as I go over our budget with a fine-toothed comb, trimming where I can, negotiating our non-negotiables and obsessively checking every line item.

(U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service | The Associated Press) This file image provided by U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service shows the website for HealthCare.gov.

I woke just after 3 a.m. unable to breathe and with a chest cramp that, for me, signals only one thing — a panic attack. It took a few minutes to catch up to what my panic had already figured out and, when it did, an unsettling dread joined the chest cramp and I began to sort the facts.

The night previous we had our annual meeting with an insurance broker to go over our choices for our 2026 healthcare. The news? Bleak. Out of two options, we picked the one that would cover doctors actually in our town instead of the cheaper alternative that would only cover five random doctors but no hospitals or tests. Our first payment, triple the cost from what we are paying now, is due sometime within the next month, just after our last payment for our current plan.

My husband started his business nearly 20 years ago. At that time, I was worried about not qualifying for private insurance due to pre-existing conditions I had sustained surrounding the birth of our son while my husband was serving in the military. Obamacare was on the horizon and, when it passed in 2010, it finally ended expensive coverage for me.

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After our broker meeting, I was curious how much our healthcare premiums had changed. From 2009 until 2019, I only have insurance totals from all of our various insurances (health, car, home, work, etc.), but in those early years we were saving around $850 a month to cover it all. I wish I knew what specific portion of that was medical, especially in those couple of years before the Affordable Care Act passed.

Saving of all insurances lumped together topped out at $1,400 a month in 2018. Starting in 2019, we were paying $950 a month for medical insurance, $990 in 2020, $1,020 in 2021, $1,075 in 2022 and $1,270 a month in 2023. In 2024, we finally qualified for a little relief in the form of subsidies and our bill went down to $800 a month instead of the $1,800 it would have been. In 2025, we paid $860 a month.

Being self-employed, you cobble together whatever system works for you to put money aside for months that are a little lean while making sure you keep out money for taxes and medical costs and retirement and life. But there is absolutely no system for any working person that gives the ability to pay a bill that is three times higher from one month to the next.

The “cheaper” option which covered nothing and which we ultimately turned down? $2,100 a month.

The option in which we can stay in our town and not head at least an hour away any time we need medical care? $2,400 a month.

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In mid October, I tried to contact my members of Congress, urging them to work on extending health care subsidies while reopening the government. I gave them our personal story, trying to show them the damage to small businesses if they did not. I asked them to do this in tandem with opening the government and working toward more permanent solutions to solve the cost of medical care in this country. It was nearly a week before I heard anything at all.

I am aware of Mike Lee’s reputation for not answering constituents and was therefore not at all surprised when it proved true. Blake Moore, my representative, finally reached out — but he ignored my situation completely. John Curtis also ignored my situation. He did say this, however: “On September 30th, I voted to keep the federal government open and to prevent unnecessary harm to hardworking, taxpaying families in Utah and across America. Sadly, the measure failed…and once again Washington’s dysfunction has forced a shutdown. Utahns know the simple truth: you prepare, you live within your means, and you finish the job.”

I was confused at how, exactly, we are supposed to “prepare” in this situation. I grow more and more angry as I go over our budget with a fine-toothed comb, trimming where I can, negotiating our non-negotiables and obsessively checking every line item to plug holes, bandage hemorrhages and wonder why we are the ones constantly admonished to be smart with our money, to suffer the sins from those in power.

I am completely aware that we fall into a small box of people who will be able to keep coverage, despite the price tag. My heart hurts for the ones that cannot. It is estimated that between 4 and 7 million people will lose their health care coverage as the subsidies expire. And while we are not in that category this time, I worry about how many more years until we are.

This is not sustainable, and it feels like there is no one coming to help.

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(Tawnya Gibson) Tawnya Gibson is a freelance writer living in northern Utah.

Tawnya Gibson is a freelance writer living in northern Utah. Her work has appeared in TODAY online, Newsweek, Zibby Mag, Under The Gum Tree, Sky Island Journal and Blue Mountain Review (among others) and she was a longtime contributor to Utah Public Radio.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.



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Widow of protester killed files lawsuit against organizers of Utah ‘No Kings’ rally

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Widow of protester killed files lawsuit against organizers of Utah ‘No Kings’ rally


The widow of Afa Ah Loo, the man killed during a No Kings Rally in Salt Lake City, filed a lawsuit against protest organizers and the man accused of firing the fatal shot.

Laura Ah Loo filed the lawsuit Monday, claiming the armed “peacekeeper” and the protest organizers’ negligence caused the death of her husband.

The protest was part of the No Kings Rally, which was held in every state nationwide on June 14, 2025. The National 50501 organization led the movement, with local groups organizing protests in their respective states.

In Salt Lake City, an estimated 10,000 people showed up to protest.

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During the event, Matthew Alder, a member of the security team, allegedly fired into the crowd after spotting a protester carrying a rifle. Prosecutors said he shot three times, striking the armed protester and killing a bystander.

The widow of the man killed is now suing Alder for negligence, with the lawsuit saying it “should have been obvious that any errant shot fired would pose a lethal danger to bystanders.”

MORE | ‘No Kings’ Protest Shooting:

The lawsuit claims that there was no imminent threat, but even if he believed there to be one, Alder could have moved several feet to the west and shot against a wall and not into the crowd.

“Defendant Alder, with little to no known training in crowd control or de-escalation, failed to clear an area behind Gamboa and instead simply started to fire his gun,” the lawsuit reads.

Laura Ah Loo is also suing organizers, claiming they didn’t properly train or vet all the members of the security team, nor did they inform law enforcement and the public of the armed peacekeepers.

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“Defendants’ breaches of these duties resulted in a perfect storm of negligence that caused the only known fatality among a march of millions of Americans,” the lawsuit reads.

She is seeking damages for pain and suffering, lost wages and economic support, and funeral costs.

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Utah drivers rethink budgets as gas prices jump

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Utah drivers rethink budgets as gas prices jump


SALT LAKE CITY — When Kimberly L. pulled up to the gas pump on Sunday, she was unfortunately prepared for the prices that awaited her.

“Between my husband’s truck and my car, we’re well over $300 a month in gas,” she said. “It hits your pocket, and we’ve got a one-working-person household of four, so we’ve had to budget differently.”

This is one of the reasons why she was driving a motorcycle.

“I’m actually probably going to be riding this a lot more often. Gets way better gas mileage than any of our vehicles,” she added.

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According to AAA, as of Sunday, average gas prices in Utah were around $3.16 compared to $2.74 the week prior.

“I went to go get gas the other day, and I spent $10 on two and a half gallons of gas. And it was insane,” said Grace Wieland from Park City. “Most of my activities are down in Salt Lake, so it’s hard to come down here every week and do the things I love to do whenever gas is so expensive.”

“At work, I make around $18 an hour, and that’s not even a full tank. It’s like two hours at work is one tank, which is kind of crazy,” said Addison Lowe, who is also from Park City.

According to Gas Buddy, the rising prices come after the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, impacting ships that carry large amounts of oil that pass through the Straight of Hormuz, a key trade route.

“Gas prices likely continue advancing, oil prices will likely keep climbing until that oil can move again,” said petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan.

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AAA said the last time the national average made a similar jump was in March of 2022 during the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

In the meantime, Utahns told FOX 13 News that they will continue to budget and hope prices go down sooner rather than later.





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Utah midterms are set: Here’s where all the Republican incumbents are running

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Utah midterms are set: Here’s where all the Republican incumbents are running


SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy made their reelection bids official this week, announcing they will run for the new 3rd District and 4th District, respectively, under the state’s newly established congressional map.

The plans were first reported by the Deseret News after weeks of discussion among the Utah delegation about how to approach the November elections under the new boundaries. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, will file in the new 2nd District, where he’s already begun gathering signatures.

“The conversations all along have been: What’s the best thing we can do to stand up for Utah, to stand up for representative government, to make sure that what’s happening is constitutional,” Maloy told the Deseret News in an interview. “But now that we’re out of options — we have to file to run next week — I’m going to run in the district that I’ve spent my adult life living in.”

The decisions come after Rep. Burgess Owens announced on Wednesday that he would not seek reelection, paving the way for Maloy and Kennedy to each choose one of the two remaining districts and avoid a messy incumbent-on-incumbent primary.

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The new map reduced Republicans’ stronghold of four House seats down to three with one Democratic seat, sending the delegation into a scramble about who should run where in the new political landscape.

The redrawn boundaries especially complicated Maloy’s and Kennedy’s decisions as their two districts shifted significantly. Under the new lines, the pair both live in the new 3rd District.

But with Owens’ retirement leaving the new 4th District open, it gives room for Kennedy to run there, which leans Republican.

Kennedy to run in Utah’s 4th District

Kennedy highlighted his work in and representation of parts of the 4th District in his official announcement on Thursday.

“I’ve spent more than twenty years practicing medicine in communities throughout the Fourth District and ten years serving many of these communities in the Utah State Legislature,” Kennedy said. “I know these communities, I share their values, and I’m ready to keep fighting for Utah families in Congress.”

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Kennedy and Maloy both praised Owens as he gets ready to exit Congress.

Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, speaks with members of the media at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

“(Owens) just did the ultimate team-player move, and people here don’t do that,” Maloy said. “I hate that this is a choice that he had to make this year, that he was forced to decide that. I have nothing but love and respect for him and how he makes his choices. … He does what’s best for the team every time, and I think he’s proving that with this decision as well.”

Kennedy said it was an “honor” to serve with Owens in Congress, adding he was “grateful for his service and his friendship.”

The reelection decisions bring an end to the monthslong game of musical chairs that garnered national attention as Democrats were given a rare pickup opportunity in the red state of Utah and the four GOP incumbents were squeezed into three seats.

Owens was long rumored to be considering a departure from public office at the end of 2026, but the Utah delegation kept its cards close to its chest until the new Utah district was solidified.

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The delegation has engaged in talks with one another for months on how to proceed, with several of the incumbents telling the Deseret News that those conversations centered around what would be the best fit for the constituents in the new districts.

Still, Utah Republicans did not go down without a fight. Owens was one of two Republicans in the delegation, along with Maloy, to ask the federal courts to block the new Utah map from taking effect because it was selected by a Utah judge, not the legislature, but that request was denied.

Even with the cleared field, Maloy and Kennedy could still face primary challengers from elsewhere in the state. Republican candidates have said they will file in both the 3rd District, David Harris and Phil Lyman, and the 4th District, Stone Fonua.

Two Republican candidates have declared bids in the heavily Democratic 1st District in Salt Lake County: Riley Owen and Dave Robinson.

Candidate filings for federal races open next week and will be available from March 9-13. Primary elections will be held on June 23.

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Maloy is gathering signatures to qualify for the ballot, she told the Deseret News. Since making her reelection news public, Maloy has gotten several calls from constituents back home to volunteer for signature-gathering efforts.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.



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