Every Coloradan deserves affordable health care
For a year, Coloradans have been navigating one of the worst public health crises in our nation’s history.
This crisis has thrown bright light onto systemic health and social inequities that have plagued our communities for too long.
Thousands of vulnerable Coloradans have been forced to live without the safety net of health insurance at a time when having coverage has never mattered more.
Colorado has some of the highest health insurance costs in the nation and, for many parts of our state, little-to-no choice on the individual market. Eighty-nine percent of uninsured Coloradans say price is the reason they lack insurance and one in six Colorado counties only have one plan on the individual market.
We refuse to accept that there is nothing that can be done to change the status quo; as legislators, it’s our job to find solutions when it seems impossible and to come to the table with bold ideas that will make a difference in the lives of our constituents.
That’s why we are introducing a bill that will help Coloradans access affordable health care, and will lower costs for everyone — even those who like the insurance they already have.
This bill’s two-phased approach gives the entire healthcare industry the opportunity to join us at the table and take action to make health insurance plans more affordable for consumers — a goal that the industry has told us over and over again that we all share and one they can meet on their own.
Under the first phase, hospitals and insurance companies will have the next two and half years to work together to reduce the cost of health care. And, they’ll be able to do it without any government mandates. If they succeed, we’ll all benefit from more affordable care. But if they can’t or won’t find a way, we will move to the second phase where a nonprofit Colorado Option will be created and become a choice for consumers on the individual and small-group market.
Nobody will be forced to buy the plan and it will not raise taxes a single penny. But it will guarantee a new, affordable, and quality insurance product for those who wish to buy it.
Right now, our system is set up to take care of people who have an employer that pays for their insurance, or who have the resources to navigate its extreme expense and complexity. It leaves too many folks behind and creates gaps in equity tied to race, income, disability and location.
The needs of Black communities, indigenous communities, Latinx communities, immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ communities, disabled communities, low-income communities, and rural communities have been overlooked for too long and the status quo is not working for them. We can only solve that problem by confronting it, and the system that perpetuates it, head-on. Our plan is a step in the right direction.
It’s no surprise that national special interest groups have dumped dark money into fighting this idea. Your screens are already being bombarded by a multimillion-dollar ad campaign that spreads misinformation that has no basis in this year’s bill. Don’t fall for it. This negative campaign is bankrolled by big out-of-state corporations that are protecting the system’s bottom line.
They don’t care about Coloradan’s health care; they only care about protecting their immense profits.
We are proud of the coalition of doctors, nurses, hospitals, insurance companies, and most importantly, consumers and small businesses from Colorado that have come together to debate and discuss this proposal. Their voices matter and so does yours; we’re confident that making Coloradans healthier and saving them money is something we can all get behind.
The Colorado Health Insurance Option is a targeted and thoughtful approach to a big problem we have in our state, and it is our best chance in years to increase access and lower the cost of health care across the state. There’s no problem we cannot solve when we do it together. Let’s get to work.