Universal

Affordable

Accessible

Undeniable

Portable


URGENT HCAC NEEDS

Do you or someone you know have a health insurance horror story? Let us know!

We are looking for people willing to help with our communications and online outreach programs (Website, Facebook, Twitter, email, video production and editing, etc.). If you have time and skills to assist, email Nathan for more information.

  • Featured Event

    HCAC Annual Meeting 2023

    Please join us on Saturday June 17th 2023, from 10 am to noon for the HCAC Annual meeting to discuss recent legislative updates and develop skills to continue our work to pass a Single Payer Universal Health Care Bill and to build our grassroots and coalition. We will be joined by two wonderful guest speakers, Wendell Potter and Chuck Pennacchio. 

    HCAC Annual Meeting Agenda

    10:00 - 10:50 AM Business Meeting with election of HCAC Officers
    10:50 - noon

    Special Guest Speakers Wendell Potter and Chuck Pennacchio. Please see below for detailed biographies

    WP_Headshot_Aug22.jpgWendell Potter is a former health insurance company executive who became that industry’s worst nightmare. Time Magazine called Wendell “the ideal whistleblower.” Wendell walked away from his job at Cigna, the giant health insurance corporation, in 2008 after what he has described as a crisis of conscience. Now, Wendell is President of two organizations -- the Center for Health & Democracy and Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation -- working to end the employer-based health insurance system and guarantee health care for all Americans. Wendell went on to become a bestselling author. The New York Times called his first book – Deadly Spin – “a tour de force.” Wendell has also written numerous articles for publications in the U.S. and abroad, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Newsweek and the Guardian, and has been a frequent guest on TV and radio.

     

    CHUCK_PENNACCHIO.jpgChuck Pennacchio, Ph.D., is a five-decade-long issue, electoral, and union organizer; 32-year professor of history and politics in Colorado, Texas, and Pennsylvania; president of the One Payer States network; senior advisor to Healthcare for All Pennsylvania; co-facilitator of Our Revolution PA; founder of the Justice for All Network; producer of the single-payer documentary “Fix It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point”; former aide to four U.S. Senators and one U.S. House Member; 2006 Democratic candidate for the United States Senate (PA); 2016 Bernie Sanders delegate; and author/co-author of several books, book chapters, and articles on U.S. and European history, U.S. healthcare, and U.S. politics. More importantly, Chuck is the father of two adult-children, Sophia and Ben, who are also politically and intellectually engaged citizens.

     


    Zoom link information will be provided automatically via email when you RSVP.

    We look forward to your participation and seeing you!

     

    When
    June 17, 2023 at 10:00am
    Where
    Zoom Meeting (link in RSVP confirmation email)
    RSVP
  • Featured Post

    HB23-1209 is Introduced!

    Representative Boesenecker, Representative McCormick, and Senator Jaquez Lewis have introduced a bill this session to authorize a formal study that would fully analyze the impacts of a proposed universal health care system.

    1209_title.png

    If enacted, the Colorado School of Public Health would conduct a detailed analysis of the feasibility of creating a publicly financed, privately delivered universal health care system in Colorado, including how to equitably finance the system and the economic impacts.  Given that every prior (smaller scale) study has arrived at the same overwhelming conclusion — that universal health care would be overwhelmingly beneficial and billions of dollars cheaper statewide — you can guess who (and how financially loud and wrong) our opposition is going to be.

    This is REALLY BIG and BREAKING NEWS!  Stay tuned here for updates (or make sure you sign up for our email alerts) as we let you know more about what's going on, why we support this, and how you can help!

    Quick Links

    HB23-1209 Latest Bill Versions

     

  • Featured Post

    Medicare versus Medicare Advantage

    medicare-advantage1.jpgWhile this is a topic I tried to keep below my radar for years, it has become an issue to be dealt with and elucidate for others!  Long ago my late husband, an internist, would rant about all the headaches caused by Medicare Advantage (MA) and similar ‘insurance’ plans.  They interfered in the doctor patient relationship, delaying needed care while creating headaches for his office billing staff.  I took note, but didn’t understand the full picture until Medicare became my insurer.  Thanks to an honest insurance broker who reminded me of my late husband’s hatred for the MA plans, I was happy to get a supplement to Medicare which even covers me when traveling abroad.  While I understand the ‘scene’ better, I can say I do not fully understand this ‘market’ as it is utterly complex and the rules keep changing on both sides of the ‘game.’

    Read More
  • Featured Post

    Happy Birthday, Medicare!

    Your Medicare card | MedicareJuly 30, 2021, marks Medicare’s 56th birthday, the federal program implemented with bipartisan support to provide health insurance to people over 65 regardless of income or medical history.  When President Johnson signed the bill into law in 1965, the goal was to expand access to health coverage and move toward the goal of a single payor national health system.

    Read More
  • Featured Post

    Medicare for All - Why Aren't We There Yet?


    Bieser_title.png
    At our previous Zoom webconference, Drs. Cecile Rose and Rick Bieser, Co-Chairs of the Physicians for a National Health Program Colorado Chapter, gave outstanding presentations.

    For those of you looking for Dr. Bieser's slides, download a copy by clicking here.

    Read More
  • Featured Page

    HCAC Positions - 2020 Colorado Ballot Measures

    The goal of Health Care for All Colorado is to achieve universal, affordable, accessible, undeniable, and portable health care for all Coloradans.

    In reviewing this year's Colorado ballot, the Board of Health Care for All Colorado has voted to take a position on the following Ballot Measures.

    Type

    Title

    Subject

    Description

    HCAC Position

    CISS

    Proposition

    115

    Abortion

    Prohibits abortion after 22 weeks gestational age. 

    HCAC Rationale for Opposing Proposition 115:  Currently an abortion can be performed at any time during pregnancy.  This proposal would prohibit abortion after 22 weeks of gestational age of the fetus, interfering with the patient provider relationship in making healthcare decisions, and denying access to care.

    Oppose

    CISS

    Proposition 116

    Taxes

    Decreases the state income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%. 

    HCAC Rationale for Opposing Proposition 116:  Colorado’s economy and people have suffered from the COVID economic and health crisis.  The cuts in revenue following a tax cut would add to the losses in education, health care and other state services.  Education is a social determinant of health.

    Oppose

    CISS

    Proposition 118

    Healthcare

    Establishes a program for paid medical and family leave.  

    HCAC Rationale for Supporting Proposition 118:  Provides partial wage replacement so that eligible employees can take time off for medical reasons or to provide care for family members.

    Support

    LRCA

    Amendment B

    Taxes & Property

    Repeals the Gallagher Amendment of 1982, which limited the residential and non-residential property tax assessment rates so that residential property taxes amounted to 45% of the total share of state property taxes and non-residential property taxes amounted to 55% of the total share of state property taxes.

    HCAC Rationale for Supporting Amendment B:  Amendment B does not increase property taxes and helps preserve funding for local districts that provide fire protection, police, ambulance, hospital, kindergarten through twelfth grade education, and other services.  Education is a social determinant of health.

    Support

    LRSS

    Proposition EE

    Tobacco & Taxes

    Increases taxes on tobacco, creates a new tax on nicotine products such as e-cigarettes; dedicates funds to education and health programs. 

    HCAC Rationale for Supporting Proposition EE:  Proposition EE initially uses the tax revenue primarily for public school funding to help offset revenue that has been lost as a result of the economic impacts related to COVID-19 and then for programs that reduce the use of tobacco and nicotine products. Enhances the voluntary Colorado preschool program and makes it widely available for free and maintains the funding for programs that currently receive revenue from tobacco taxes, with the state keeping and spending all the new revenue as a voter-approved revenue change.  Education is a social determinant of health.

    Support

    CISS = Initiated State Statute; LRCA = Legislatively Referred Constitutional Amendment; LRSS = Legislatively Referred State Statute (Source: BALLOTPEDIA) 

    Read More
  • Featured Post

    COVID-19 Impacts and Medicare For All

    During the HCAC Annual Meeting on June 6, 2020, HCAC Board Member Pamela S. Parks, MD gave two presentations related to COVID.

    Copies of those presentations may be downloaded here.

    1. COVID-19 Recession and Job Loss

    2. COVID-19 and Medicare For All

     

  • Featured Post

    H.R. 5010 - State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2019

    The HCAC Denver Chapter meeting in February included a presentation by
    HCAC Board Member and former Senator Jeanne Nicholson,
    an Analysis of Ro Khanna's Bill, H.R.5010, State-based Universal Health Care Act of 2019

    HCAC supporters may access and download a copy of the presentation here.

  • Featured Post

    2020 Caucus Resolutions

    On Saturday, March 7th, both Colorado Democratic and Republican Parties are holding their party caucuses.  The caucus process is how the grassroots informs the party of what issues are important to them. At caucus precincts, resolutions are proposed and voted upon. Resolutions with significant support make their way into County and State party platforms. Improved Medicare for All has been consistently prominent in past years within the Colorado Democratic Party Platform, but there's no reason to stop now! We believe in the benefits of health care for all regardless of party.  Health needs do not discriminate based on party affiliation. Given the strong support for universal health care among Republican voters as well, we'd love to see our Republican and Republican-leaning Independent voters promote resolutions in the GOP caucus as well!

    Read More
  • Featured Post

    The Colorado Public Option

    Last session, HCAC supported legislation that required the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and the Division of Insurance (DOI) to develop and submit a proposal to the General Assembly concerning the implementation of a state option for health care coverage, HB19-1004.  

    The final report, based on meetings with stakeholders from across the state and including extensive written public comments, was submitted in November 2019 with a preliminary actuarial analysis.  The final actuarial analysis will be completed in February 2020. 

    Read More