State Sen. Michael Waddoups reissued his call for an investigation of the health care industry Monday on grounds that the business practices of hospitals and insurance companies hurt consumers and thwart free market competition.

In comments on www.senatesite.com, the West Jordan Republican compared the state and national health care system to "a train wreck about to occur" and said he's asking state and federal authorities to look into a wide range of concerns.

He and state Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, made similar comments last week.

A spokesman for Intermountain Health Care -- the state's largest provider of health care and commercial health insurance -- referred comment to the Utah Hospital Association. UHA's senior staff members were out of town Monday and did not respond to a request for comment.

Waddoups and Davis are members of the Privately Owned Health Care Organization Task Force, which was created to look at issues such as patient choice and business practices that impede or enhance competition.

The task force's next scheduled meeting is May 11.

The agenda includes the findings of a study of Utah's health care markets.

Waddoups, however, says state and federal agencies need to start investigating the health care and insurance industries in Utah and nationwide.

"I believe there is evidence that these two large powerful interest groups (the insurance industry and hospital systems) are putting profits before people," Waddoups wrote in his post, "and that their actions are hurting employers and working families."

He said he is "in the process of formally communicating" with Congress, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services.

He's also talking to the state attorney general's office and the state Department of Insurance about antitrust violations, he said.

Spokesmen for both agencies said the offices are paying attention to the work of the task force but that formal investigations are not under way.

"We've had discussion from Sen. Waddoups, but there's never been any request for an investigation," said attorney general spokesman Paul Murphy.