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.
Next Saturday, April 10th, bill sponsors of Colorado HB21-1232 Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option (the Colorado “Public Option”) will join us on Zoom to discuss the bill and answer your questions about it.
Please join us at 10am on Saturday, April 10 as we welcome Representative Dylan Roberts and Representative Iman Jodeh.
Register Here for your Zoom Link!
This bill offers an opportunity for State-based solutions to address the rising costs of health care insurance and health services. HB21-1232 attempts to stage progressive steps to reign in costs by addressing lack of competition specific to the health insurance market statewide.
HCAC invites you to join our Zoom conference to hear the sponsors discuss their bill. There will be time for questions & answers so come prepared with your questions.
Dylan Roberts represents House District 26 in the Colorado House of Representatives, which encompasses Eagle and Routt Counties. Serving in this position since 2017, his work at the legislature has focused on lowering the cost of health care and prescription drugs, protecting our environment and water, finding ways to lower the cost of living, and promoting rural economic development. At the Capitol, he serves as the Chair of the Rural Affairs & Agriculture Committee and as a member of the Judiciary Committee. Dylan grew up in Routt County and now lives in Eagle County with his fiancé Sarah and their rescue-dog, Hattie.
Iman Jodeh is the Representative for House District 41 in Aurora, Colorado. As a first generation American, born to Palestinian immigrants and refugees, she has called Colorado, specifically HD41, home her entire life. As the first Muslim and Arab woman elected to the Colorado State Legislature, she is passionate about social justice work and advocates for criminal justice reform, fighting the rising cost of and increasing access to healthcare, increasing access to jobs and education, ensuring equal rights for all, and combating our climate crisis. Iman is fluent in Arabic and maintains a second home in Ramallah, Palestine. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her large family, and fly fishing in the beautiful rivers of Colorado.
The bill requires the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) in the department of regulatory agencies to establish a standardized health benefit plan (standardized plan) by rule to be offered by health insurance carriers (carriers) in the individual and small group markets. The standardized plan must:
Beginning January 1, 2023, and each year thereafter, the bill encourages carriers that offer:
For 2023, each carrier shall set a goal of offering a standardized plan premium that is at least 10% less than the premium rate for health benefit plans offered by that carrier in the 2021 calendar year in the individual and small group market. For 2024, each carrier shall set a goal of offering a standardized plan premium that is at least 20% less than the premium rate for health benefit plans offered by that carrier in the 2021 calendar year in the individual and small group market. For 2025 and each year thereafter, carriers are encouraged to limit annual premium rate increases for the standardized plan to no more than the consumer price index plus one percent, relative to the previous year.
The Colorado option authority (authority) is created for the purpose of operating as a carrier to offer the standardized plan as the Colorado option if the carriers do not meet the established premium rate goals. The authority shall operate as a nonprofit, unincorporated public entity. The authority is required to implement a provider fee schedule as established by the commissioner in consultation with the executive director of the department of health care policy and financing. Health-care providers and health facilities are required to accept consumers who are enrolled in any health benefit plan offered by the authority.
The bill creates an advisory committee to make recommendations to the authority concerning the development, implementation, and operation of the authority.
The commissioner is required to apply to the secretary of the United States department of health and human services for a waiver and include a request for a pass-through of federal funding to capture savings as a result of the implementation of the standardized plan. The commissioner is required to disapprove of a rate filing submitted by a carrier if the rate filing reflects a cost shift between the standardized plan and the health benefit plan for which rate approval is being sought.
The bill makes the failure to accept consumers who are covered through the Colorado option or the balance billing of a patient in violation of this bill grounds for discipline under specified practice acts.
The bill repeals the authority and its functions if the United States congress establishes a national public option program that meets or exceeds the premium rate goals set forth in and health-care coverage pursuant to this bill.
Please Click HERE to register for your personal ZOOM link.
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.
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)
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
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.
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!
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.
HCAC supported the Health Care Cost Savings Act of 2019 that passed the Colorado Legislature last year with bipartisan support. Several members of the HCAC board testified in front of committee in support of this legislation. The bill allows for an analysis to compare how we would pay for different universal health care systems in Colorado. The 15-member state task force, including bill sponsor Rep. Emily Sirota and author T. R. Reid have begun their work.
In 2019, the Colorado Legislature passed HB19-1004, A Proposal For Affordable Health Coverage Option. The result was a Health insurance Public Option proposal developed by the Colorado Division of Insurance and Colorado's Health Care Policy and Financing Department, which has been published along with significant public comment.
What does the Proposal look like? What would have to happen to enact it? What decisions are still left up to the state legislature this year as they review the proposal?
In the 2020 election, health care will be one of the most important issues. We are looking for volunteers to provide information to candidates on universal health care and single payer or Improved Medicare for All type finance systems. We hope to reach all Colorado candidates, unaffiliated and from all political parties, who are running in 2020.
If you are willing to participate in this important project click here to sign up.
For more info contact Laurie Beckel or Virginia Gebhart at [email protected].
ROLE:
Provide all Colorado candidates, unaffiliated and from all political parties, in the 2020 elections with information about universal health care and single payer or Improved Medicare for All type health care finance systems.
1)Choose a candidate(s) with whom you would like to partner. This may be a candidate(s) where you are the candidate’s constituent or where you are not a constituent. Offer to be their personal contact for information and support on Improved Medicare for All type health care finance reform.
2)Create a friendly, respectful relationship with the candidate(s) while encouraging them to make health care finance reform a top issue in their campaign.
CONTEXT:
We are interested in finding ways that every Coloradan could have comprehensive, affordable health care. We want elected officials to know that changing to a single payer or Improved Medicare for All type of public financing is the best way to cut costs and cover everybody. We will do an on-line survey of all the candidates about health care finance reform issues. We want candidates to know about single payer, Improved Medicare for All type systems so that they can provide thoughtful responses. The candidates’ responses will be reported to voters.
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
Candidate Liaisons will form alliances with candidates around health care issues. You can anticipate that the candidates(s) with whom you are partnered will look forward to hearing from you. Your interactions will be supportive, not confrontational. The candidate(s) will come to trust that you provide accurate facts and insights that help them look smarter and well informed. Only if a candidate feels comfortable with a topic will the candidate be willing to talk about it. When candidates talk about it, the public listens and gets educated. When the candidate gets elected, he, she, or they will have a connection to you and to our support organizations (Indivisible, Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care, etc.).
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1)Read the information training materials and become skillful with the conversation about the facts and in engaging your candidate(s).
2)Drop off an information handout to your candidate (materials provided) and include your contact information.
3)Develop and maintain a supportive and trusting relationship with your candidate for the duration of their candidacy—you decide what is appropriate for you with your time availability and/or what is requested from your candidate(s).
SUPPORT:
You choose the name(s) of candidate(s) with whom you’d like to partner. As much as possible, we want Candidate Liaisons to be constituents. Check out and choose local candidates for local offices as well as State Legislative and Congressional races. You know your local community election scene and where you might be most effective as a Candidate Liaison. You don’t have to know all the answers. You’ll get support with information, access to people to answer your candidate’s questions, supplemental resource materials and some basic training and directions. The conversation on health care finance reform is evolving quickly during this election season. We want to ensure that candidates know their constituents who expect real health care finance reform that will provide simple guaranteed quality health care for all for life.
If you are willing to participate in this important project click here to sign up.
For more info contact Laurie Beckel or Virginia Gebhart at [email protected]
