Colorado Legislature Drafting State Public Health Care Option

Fellow Coloradans against state-run healthcare, take note!  

The Health Task Force Interim Committee in the Colorado Legislature is proposing state-run health care for Colorado!  Beginning next session (January 2010) they are going to draft 13 bills and choose 8. 

Pay attention to: 

1. Providing a STATE public option (which they want to be Cover Colorado)
2. Putting DENTAL benefits in Medicaid
3. Allowing Cover CO to start setting provider reimbursement rates – this could only happen IF they become a public option! 

EVERY suggestion is going to drive up the cost of health care!  The word needs to get out on this because it could potentially be worse than the federal plan.  Single payer is for sure going to be introduced by Rep John Kefalas next session as well. 

As I find out more information on this I will post it here.  I will be posting information on when they meet next, public input on the suggested bills, etc.

INTERIM COMMITTEES: 
HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE. Submitted 13 bills for drafting (of which up to eight bills may be chosen), including:

• Allow the state to provide a public plan, if the federal plan does not include one
• Prohibit insurance companies from using gender in determining premium rates
• Hold harmless certain populations in Medicaid cuts (seniors, mental health, etc.)
• Regulate both home health care placement agencies and the contractors who work for them (licensure, certification and registration were all proposed)
• Allow Cover Colorado to set reimbursement rates for providers
• Include dental care in Medicaid benefits