Panel committed to changing the system

Anne Warhover

Published April 28, 2007 at midnight

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- Margaret Mead

Thoughtful, committed people can change the world and hopefully our health care system in Colorado. A small group of 27 thoughtful individuals is working with community members and leaders to create a plan to reform Colorado's ailing health care system.

They are the appointed commissioners of the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform, established by the Colorado legislature during the 2006 legislative session through Senate Bill 06-208. The legislature created the commission with the charge of studying and recommending health care reform models for expanding coverage, especially for the underinsured and uninsured and decreasing health care costs for Colorado residents - not a simple undertaking.

Colorado has 770,000 uninsured residents, with nearly 180,000 of them children. Health care is clearly important to voters. Coloradans, like most Americans, are anxious for solutions to the growing number of people who cannot afford health insurance and to the rising cost of health care. The Blue Ribbon Commission was formed to address these concerns.

The members of the commission, appointed by former Gov. Bill Owens, Gov. Bill Ritter, Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, Senate Minority Leader Andrew McElhany and House Minority Leader Mike May, represent consumers, providers, business leaders, and local and state government officials. The commission's goal is to increase coverage and reduce cost. To that end, it adopted the following principles to guide its work:

• Protect and improve the health status of all Coloradans.

• Expand coverage of essential health care services for all Coloradans with an emphasis on the uninsured and underinsured.

• Align incentives to provide high-quality, cost-effective and coordinated care.

• Support a system that is financially viable, sustainable and fair.

• Provide opportunities for meaningful choice and encourage personal responsibility.

• Emphasize wellness, prevention, health education and consumer empowerment.

Community meetings were held across the state to help the commission gain insight on the issues and get input regarding what a successful proposal must include. Proposals were solicited from all interested groups to address how the state can ensure that all Colorado residents have access to affordable, quality health insurance and needed health services. The deadline recently passed with nearly 30 proposals submitted by a wide variety of sources, more than have been received by any other state pursuing a similar inclusive approach to reform.

Each proposal must be reviewed and evaluated based on the criteria established. The commission must select three to five proposals for in-depth technical assessment by an independent consultant and complete a final report with recommendations to the General Assembly by the end of the year.

We encourage leaders in Colorado's philanthropic and business community to support and participate in this process and provide thoughtful input at future public meetings. We urge not only support and appreciation for the work of the commission and its members but for everyone to maintain a sense of optimism, hope and confidence in the process. Ultimately, we may be faced with difficult choices and a need to compromise our individual goals.

But, it is important to stay focused on the outcome, which is the health of all Coloradans.

Anne Warhover is president and CEO of the Colorado Health Foundation, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.

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