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Healthcare panel faces no-win situation

Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 30, 2007 at midnight

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Changing healthcare in a way that makes everybody — or even most people — happy will be a daunting task for the 24 members of Colorado's Blue Ribbon Commission for Healthcare Reform.

For starters, there are 12 Democrats and 12 Republicans on the commission, reflecting that they are appointed by former GOP Gov. Bill Owens, Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Democratic Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald and minority leaders in both houses.

More challenging is the schizophrenia of Coloradoans when it comes to what they want in health care — nearly everything — and what they are willing to raise taxes or healthcare premiums for — relatively little.

At Tuesday's meeting at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, the fourth time the panel has met, pollster Laura Weigel, shared results of national polling.

Most people are for universal healthcare, but not if it means limiting the choice of doctors or limiting what treatments might be offered.

Thirty-three percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Democrats are willing to pay higher taxes if it means everyone gets some form of coverage.

People don't like to be considered consumers of healthcare, but patients. "They consider it gross and crass to bring cost into the conversation," Weigel said. "They want to be taken care of."

A Colorado survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Policy and Research right before the November 2006 election found that health was the biggest issue for voters. While 68 percent are satisfied with the quality of healthcare, 67 percent are dissatisfied with the cost.

Sixty-nine percent supported requiring all employers to either provide basic coverage or pay into a state subsidized fund to expand health coverage. But just 23 percent support a surcharge on health insurance premiums to achieve that purpose.

The panel's task is to recommend legislation to be considered by state lawmakers.