Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Ritter reiterates details of plan for health care

By Chris Barge, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 14, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

Text size  
Ritter says his plan aims at "meaningful" progress.

Ritter says his plan aims at "meaningful" progress.

More Colorado Government

More stories »

With lights on and cameras rolling Wednesday, Gov. Bill Ritter laid out a health care plan that was largely the same as one he announced in November.

The governor reiterated his vows from his Nov. 1 budget announcement as well as his State of the State address last month in saying that he would devote $25 million to covering about 17,000 more of the state's 180,000 uninsured children.

He said he also would incorporate some of the less expensive but important recommendations by the Blue Ribbon Commission for Healthcare Reform.

The "building blocks for health care reform" package took the first significant steps toward the vision he still holds of someday bringing universal health care to Colorado, Ritter said.

"We know these ideas are not new ideas in many respects," Ritter said. "They represent a strengthening of existing efforts, but they build upon those efforts and they represent what we believe is meaningful and significant progress."

Ritter's news conference in front of more than 100 clapping lawmakers, health care advocates and medical staff at Denver Health Medical Center came after a morning of bitter partisan debate over health care on the House floor.

A resolution on providing access to health care for children by 2010 finally passed after Democrats agreed to water down its language - chiefly, changing "pledge" to "strive to ensure."

By day's end, Republicans were saying that Ritter had broken his first campaign promise on a major issue by retreating from the vision for universal health care he laid out in his first State of the State speech 13 months ago.

"On the governor's 'building blocks plan' - looks like the Colorado Promise has been reduced to Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys," said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma.

Ritter wrote in his "Colorado Promise" campaign booklet that he would lead the effort to improve health care access. And he said in his 2007 State of the State speech that his "vision" was for all Coloradans to have access to some form of basic coverage by 2010 .

"Is Rep. Gardner calling for even greater reforms than Gov. Ritter outlined today, or is he just trying to take a cheap political shot?" asked Evan Dreyer, the governor's spokesman. "If it's the former, we welcome him to the discussion. If it's the latter, that's too bad, because the people of Colorado deserve real solutions, not empty and intentionally inaccurate rhetoric."

In his news conference, Ritter said that, including gains made insuring more children in 2007, his plan would put the state on track to covering 55,000 more of its 180,000 uninsured children by three years from now.

He also announced a package of proposals aimed at making the health care system more efficient, driving down costs, and increasing transparency.

bargec@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5059

Ritter's plan

Gov. Bill Ritter proposed the following health care reforms:

* Devote $25 million in this year's budget to covering about 17,000 more of the state's 180,000 uninsured children. Use that money to leverage $40 million more next year in federal matching funds.

* Cover 55,000 more children over the next three years.

* Appoint an advisory committee to study how to improve care in underserved and rural communities by expanding the services of nurses and dental hygienists.

* Fully fund the immunization registry.

* Add mental health benefits to the children's health insurance program.

* Make the state's health care system more efficient with standardized health insurance cards, and by reducing the cost of prescription drugs.

* Increase transparency with an online report card for insurance companies.

Comments

  • February 24, 2008

    12:31 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    nobody writes:

    nobody says:
    Ritter and our state house Democrats ignore the fact that not having health insurance is different from not getting health care, just as not having food insurance does not mean one will not eat.

    The uninsured have access to emergency rooms, charitable aid and low-cost clinics, and qualifying children can even be retroactively insured for 90 days...

    Ritter and our socialists in our state legislature are using the same "softening" process that is so popular in socialist groups.. you launch a socialist change by getting everyone to "sign on" to helping 'children'.... then 2 years to 3 years down the road we include more "groups" (#2 is usually "the elderly)that need the help just as much..

    Each and every individual "progress" is discussed on it's own 'merits'(nebulous "helping the poor") yet without context to the forest in which they exist.... I don't think D.A.'s are too versed in cost-benefit analysis...

    Instead of bringing up ideas for the private sector to use government to inform the private sector of WHO needs the "help" (called a facilitator) our Socialist governor prefers to 'turn' over that responsibility from private sector to the government sector with it's administration costs,corruption and waste.
    Cost?
    Benefit?

    I don't think too many of the crying, clapping, fainting Americans really know the dangers of Obama's or Hillary's messages are.. now we have a governor in lock step with socialist "progressives"..

    War becomes peace, regression becomes progress..

    It's a hoot.. dangerous, but funny in a "gallows humor" way..

    The pide piper of Ethanol (lack of cost/benefit analysis again) now is the pide piper "children's healthcare"..

    There is a "seeding" process taking place across this country.

    Care to look for yourself?

    May God Bless,
    Father O'Malley
    http://www.fatheromalley.com/