His initial interest was in health care legislation. He became involved in legislative issues in 2003 when he was required by Intermountain Health Care (IHC) to sign an arbitration agreement before his wife could be treated for emergency surgery. He then became active in a successful effort to stop such a practice.

At that time he noted certain legislators who were vehemently opposed to the legislation. Since the legislation was so common sense and fair in its nature, he became suspicious of their motives.

He soon learned these legislators were seriously conflicted with IHC. Some were members of IHC boards, others had spouses who were employed by IHC, and another was a close friend, neighbor, and had close ecclesiastical associations with top IHC executives. And these legislators were in powerful positions that influence the success or failure of any bill.

These legislators worked hard to defeat the bill and they almost succeeded. The issue was resolved when IHC, after a horrendous public relations nightmare, agreed not to deny treatment to patients who refused to sign arbitration agreements.

In the 2005 legislative session, Senator Chris Buttars submitted SB34 which would allow patients to choose their own physicians rather than being forced to see doctors dictated by IHC. The bill evolved to include the breakup of IHC (separating the hospitals and insurance arms) and IHC being taxed (they operate as a non-profit). The bill was passed handily in the senate but was strongly opposed by Senator Curtis Bramble (R-Provo), a member of an IHC board.

The bill was then submitted to the house for a vote. IHC then began a full court press on the public and Utah representatives. Full page newspaper ads, television ads, thousands of IHC paid employees demonstrating at the capitol (with 26,000 employees IHC is one of the largest employers in Utah) and closed doors meetings with IHC top brass, IHC lobbyists and legislators.

The bill never saw the light of day in the Utah House.

IHC conflicted members:

Gregg Curtis (R-Salt Lake City, Speaker of the House close friend of IHC top executives, wife an IHC employee):

Stephen Clark (R-Provo, Chairman of the House Business & Labor Committee & IHC board member);

James Dunnigan (R-Santa Clara, Vice-Chairman of the House Business & Labor Committee IHC trustee);

and David Clark (R-Santa Clara, wife is an IHC employee).

These conflicted legislators worked behind the scenes with IHC’s top brass and 30 IHC-paid lobbyists to kill the bill.

It is interesting to note that while this political wrangling was going on in the house, DeVore attempted to commission a poll of Utah voters to see where they stood on the legislation. The largest polling company in Utah is Dan Jones and Associates. They were contacted and refused to do the poll because IHC was one of their major clients. And, Dan Jones’ wife Pat Jones is a Utah Representative (D-Salt Lake City).

DeVore commissioned another respected polling service and learned that 88% of Utah’s registered voters were strongly in favor of the legislation. This information was submitted to the above conflicted politicians in a last ditch effort to save the legislation, but they refused to let the bill be heard.

He then polled the other legislators of whom a majority said they would vote in favor of the bill if it came to a vote in the House.

Because of the IHC-conflicted legislators’ high positions in the legislature, the bill never came to a vote. Instead a compromise was crafted in which a task force, dominated by the above named legislators, would forestall action against IHC until a multi-year study was completed.

Basically, the issue was turned over to a kangaroo committee dominated by IHC conflicted politicians where it will in all probability evolve into a pro-IHC conclusion.

Witnessing all of this from a front row perspective, DeVore became sickened. How was it possible that here in Utah (where the predominant culture espouses high moral values and honesty) could such corruption enter into our political system?

Finally, on February 10, 2006, DeVore experienced the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. He was informed that a bill was going to heard by the House Business & Labor Committee that would prohibit IHC from charging uninsured patients more (up to 500% more) for the same services they charge the insured. Certainly, this bill is fair? Why should IHC, a not-for-profit charity price gouge the most vulnerable –the sick, poor, and uninsured. Surely, this bill would pass.

DeVore was informed by a top IHC insider before the hearing that the bill would be killed by the three members of the committee who were IHC-conflicted: Committee Chairman Stephen Clark, Vice-Chairman James Dunnigan, and member Stephen Clark (also the House Chair on the IHC Task Force Committee.).

He attended the hearing and sure enough these three members were the only ones who spoke out against the bill. This is all DeVore could tolerate. He went to the podium and calmly identified the members who were conflicted and asked them to recuse themselves from discussing and voting on the bill. He was shouted down by Representative Dunnigan and not allowed to speak. (Click here to listen to heated exchange).

It is interesting to note that Dunnigan has presented a bill (H.B. 156) that would allow health care insurance providers (IHC) to deny insurance payments to insured with over 30 common pre-existing maladies such as headaches, face, neck, back pain, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, ear aches, esophageal reflux, etc. I guess, those to be compensated will be resurrected beings. This bill blatantly allows IHC to charge for insurance coverage but deny paying of claims for an ear infection if you’ve ever had an ear ache, etc.

Whose interests, as a trustee of IHC HealthPlans (insurance) does he represent? His constituents or IHC? Is this not a clear example of an abuse of conflict of interest?

As a result of the above observations and experiences DeVore decided to form Utah Voters for Integrity in Government (UVIG).