Dozens rally for lower health-care costs
Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News
Published February 26, 2007 at midnight
Dozens of people gathered on the steps of the state Capitol today and called for immediate action to extend health insurance to all Coloradans.
The Health Care Day of Action was sponsored by a coalition of health care, labor, and community groups that spent the day lobbying legislators. The coalition highlighted the more than 700,000 Coloradans who have no health insurance and spoke about the frustrations both employers and employees feel with spiraling health care costs.
"My family is a victim," Nathan Wilkes, an electrical engineer from Englewood, told the crowd.
Wilkes said that his son, Thomas, was born with severe hemophilia in 2003. Wilkes has a high-paying job with a small telecom company, but his family is facing disaster as Thomas’ medical bills near $1 million. His health insurer placed a $1 million cap on payouts, then hiked rates and jacked up deductibles for all the other employees in the company.
Now Wilkes isn’t sure what he and his family will do when the insurance no longer pays for Thomas’ care. He makes too much money to qualify for Medicaid, the state’s insurance program for the poor.
"It’s been suggested to us my wife and I get a divorce so she and the kids would qualify for Medicaid," said Wilkes.
Those kinds of situations are pushing legislators to take action. A Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform is now meeting and is charged with crafting a proposal to change Colorado’s health insurance system. The commission is supposed to submit a plan to legislators by November. Gov. Bill Ritter has said fixing health care is one of his top priorities, and the legislature will try to come up with a solution next year.
"This year we’re working on small steps and preparing for a comprehensive discussion next year," said Rep. Anne McGihon (D-Denver).
Health care reform is being taken up by states across the country. Massachusetts has approved a plan to extend health insurance to all residents, and several other states are looking at similar proposals.
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