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Universal health coverage push still on

Senator to proceed with effort despite Ritter's reluctance

By Chris Barge, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 13, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Gov. Bill Ritter may be backing off his promise to give all Coloradans health insurance, but the chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee is charging ahead.

Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, plans to introduce a bill next month putting lawmakers on a three-stage path toward asking voters to pass a billion-dollar health care tax in 2010.

The tax would pay for insuring roughly 500,000 of the state's 600,000 uninsured adults.

"I won't necessarily say it will have the support of the first floor," Hagedorn said, alluding to Ritter's office in the Capitol.

But, he added, "It is something that has gained interest in Colorado and Washington, D.C., as a model that could be used in states nationwide."

A similar bill sponsored by Hagedorn and passed by the legislature last year set the state down the path of covering its 180,000 uninsured children by 2010.

That path has proved to be a long and winding road, however, with Ritter telling supporters of the initiative on Monday that just covering children would require asking voters for a tax increase that he's not ready to back.

Ritter also cautioned he may not be able to find the $43 million needed for another bill being introduced by Hagedorn this week to expand coverage to 65,000 uninsured children. But Hagedorn, who is term-limited, said Tuesday he is confident the bill will find funding this year.

One option would be to devote to children's health care a small portion of the proceeds from a possible tax increase on the oil and gas industry, Hagedorn said.

"That's certainly an option," he said. "There's nothing that's off the table in our discussions" with Ritter and legislative leadership.

Ritter plans today to announce his plans for funding children's health care, within his budget, in steps, over time. He declined to respond to Hagedorn's proposals.

"We look forward to continuing discussions with lawmakers, health care leaders and other stakeholders about how best to fix a system that is so fundamentally broken," said Ritter's spokesman, Evan Dreyer. "As we move ahead, we will constantly ask, 'How much will it cost? How will we pay for it? Can we afford it?' "

It was with Ritter's cautionary words in mind that Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, tried to amend a resolution Tuesday that Hagedorn proposed pledging lawmakers to the cause of insuring all Colorado children by 2010.

Penry's amendment would have watered down the resolution with the words: "to the extent practicable consistent with the fiscal constraints identified by Governor Bill Ritter and others."

The amendment failed, so Penry joined six other GOP senators in voting against the nonbinding resolution.

"This is what the public likes least about politicians: when they make promises they know they can't keep," Penry said.

bargec@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5059

Comments

  • February 13, 2008

    1:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mah writes:

    Government interference in our health care system has done astronomical damage already. You know the symptoms, mal-practice premiums costing almost more than earnings, paperwork nightmares for everyone involved, mandated coverages when not needed, doctors leaving the industry and ad infinitum. Senator Hagedorn is determined to pound in the final nail. Socialized medicine is a disaster everywhere attempted. Help me to understand why Democrats want to inflict socialism on the US. It just doesn't work. DUH?