Prevention Matters

A non-profit health care system in Utah has instructed its lobbyists to kick the tobacco habit.

Intermountain Healthcare sent letters this month to its contract lobbyists -- including former House Speaker Greg Curtis -- demanding that they sign a conflict-of-interest statement vowing not to lobby on behalf of tobacco companies or Intermountain would terminate their pacts.

Intermountain is the region's largest health-care provider. President Obama has repeatedly cited Intermountain in his health reform discussions as an example of a health care system that offers high quality health care at costs that are well below average.