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Hagedorn: No state mandates coming on issue of health care

Instead, two bills seen as first steps toward solution

David Montero and Chris Barge

Published February 1, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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At the Colorado Capitol, citizens rally Thursday in support of the single-payer, government- run system of health care.

Photo by Dennis Schroeder / The Rocky

At the Colorado Capitol, citizens rally Thursday in support of the single-payer, government- run system of health care.

Blue-ribbon commission members applaud Chairman Bill Lindsay after he finished his report to state legislators Thursday.

Photo by Dennis Schroeder / The Rocky

Blue-ribbon commission members applaud Chairman Bill Lindsay after he finished his report to state legislators Thursday.

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Colorado voters won't see a tax to address the $1 billion health- care crisis on November's ballot, nor should they expect mandates this year requiring everyone to have insurance, the co-chairman of the legislative committee studying the issue said Thursday.

Rather, Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, said he and committee co-chairwoman Rep. Anne McGihon, D-Denver, will introduce two bills taking the first steps toward addressing Colorado's enormous health-care needs.

The first bill would expand coverage to more than 65,000 of the state's approximately 155,000 uninsured children at a cost of roughly $43 million per year, Hagedorn said.

The second would inject about $23 million into public-health programs aimed at preventing illness and preparing the state for emergencies such as pandemics and bioterrorist attacks.

Hagedorn revealed the plans in an interview as the special commission charged with reforming health care in Colorado prepared to present his committee with recommendations on how to cover more of the state's 785,000 uninsured while driving down costs.

The recommendations laid out by the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform existed in a vacuum - free from external pressures, lobbyists, moneyed interests and voter sentiment. But Thursday, the commission handed the messy issue to lawmakers.

The key recommendations laid out by commission Chairman Bill Lindsay included mandatory minimum coverage for all Coloradans; requiring employers to offer pretax, premium-only plans to encourage their workers to purchase health coverage; and reducing administrative costs.

"Whatever the merits of any of the proposals - and some are very problematic - there is no way taxpayers can afford them," Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany, R- Colorado Springs, said.

The Democrats in charge of both houses of the legislature and the governor's office signaled a multiyear approach to tackling the problem.

"There's no mandates coming down this session, pure and simple," Hagedorn said.

Hagedorn said he and McGihon have in mind a bill - perhaps for the 2010 session - that would propose raising taxes to implement the commission's recommendations for a comprehensive solution, phased in over time, that would eventually cost the state an additional $1.23 billion per year.

Currently, $30.1 billion is spent on health care in Colorado.

Lindsay, who fielded questions from lawmakers for almost two hours, repeatedly made the case for bold steps in reforming a system he says is broken. However, he also acknowledged large systemic problems that can't be resolved right away - notably simple access to health care.

"If we were to wave a magic wand today and cover everyone in Colorado with some form of coverage, we don't have enough primary-care physicians today to treat them," he said. "That problem is not uniform across the state."

Lindsay was also asked about the effect of the federal government on any proposed legislation that might affect health-care reform in Colorado. He said anything happening at the federal level could "take quite a while" and that the state can't afford to wait to move on reforms.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, has said as much, and he believes some elements of the commission's recommendations can be put into play this year - including streamlining patients' records through a uniform electronic system.

A rally outside the Capitol prior to the presentation drew about 100 supporters of the single-payer, government-run system they claimed was the only real solution to the health-care crisis.

But it was the last public speaker of the day that seemed to capture the essence of the issue. Randal Loeb, an advocate for the homeless who was once homeless himself, said it boiled down to a simple truth: "It's not about health care. It's about how we treat each other."

Key features

The commission's recommendations include:

* Requiring all legal Colorado residents to have basic health insurance coverage

* Facilitating employee health insurance purchases by requiring employers to offer pre-tax premium-only plans

* Creating a "connector" that helps employees and small employers to choose insurance options

* Expanding and reforming eligibility for Medicaid and the state's Child Health Plan Plus

* Streamlining the system to reduce administrative costs

* Improving access to quality and cost information

* Enhancing quality and improving care coordination

* Encouraging people to take responsibility for their health

* Expanding programs to improve services to vulnerable and underserved populations

* Appropriately funding public health delivery systems and safety net providers

Comments

  • February 5, 2008

    7:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jmegawarne writes:

    “As an alternative, can I send my annual healthcare check for illegals directly to Mexico?”

    …or we could give well-intentioned immigrants a path to legal employment and residency. Then they can help foot the bill by paying taxes.

    But I suppose we shouldn’t expect rational comments from a mythical ape, let alone one that seems to be frothing at the mouth.