208 Commission: Mandate health insurance for all
By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News
The Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform, also called the 208
Commission, is recommending that Colorado keep private insurance systems
in place, although the group would also like to see an expansion of government-paid
programs.
In November, the commission came up with its final list of recommendations
to present to the Colorado legislature. Three of the commission's 27 members
voted against the final package, and they are expected to prepare minority
reports for the legislature.
In contrast to the commission's favored recommendation, public hearings
in October drew widespread support of a single-payer, universal system.
The single-payer option would cover all state residents with a state-run,
tax-supported insurance system.
The commission's plan includes a mandate for individual Coloradans to carry
health insurance, with income-tax penalties for those who do not comply.
Currently about 792,000 Coloradans, including 180,000 children, lack health
insurance, according to commission figures.
The latest proposal closely resembles a plan put forward by the commission
earlier this fall. It would result in coverage for 98 percent of Coloradans,
leaving about 97,500 residents without insurance. Estimated cost of the
package is $1.1 billion in new state health-care expenses, on top of the
current costs of $30.1 billion. Total state health-care costs include insurance
premiums, out-of-pocket health expenses and government health programs.
Of five plans considered, only the single-payer plan would cover more people,
since it would cover all Colorado residents. In terms of cost, the commission's
proposal is second most expensive. The least expensive is the single-payer
plan, which would collectively save state residents an estimated $1.4 billion
per year.
In October, the commission hosted 14 public hearings throughout Colorado,
asking for public input on the five plans under consideration. At the Fort
Collins hearing, nearly everyone who testified spoke in favor of a single-payer
plan. Eliza Carney, chair of the northern Colorado steering committee for
Health Care for All Colorado, said that at the "vast majority of hearings,"
the majority of those testifying favored a single-payer plan.
A single-payer plan would put health-care financing in the hands of the
state instead of private insurance companies. Health-care providers would
remain private. The plan is sometimes referred to as "Medicare for all."
"I'd like to congratulate the commission on holding these hearings and
inviting the public in," Carney said, "so I'm shocked that they don't seem
to be listening to the people."
Carney called the commission's proposal "just another subsidy for the insurance
companies" and questioned the enforceability of a mandate requiring all
residents to carry health insurance.
According to the commission, its proposal would slow the rate of growth
in insurance premiums by covering the uninsured, reducing administrative
costs and increasing Medicaid provider reimbursements.
Another commission goal is to expand coverage by increasing access to both
public and private coverage. The individual insurance mandate would become
feasible, according to its proposal, by expanding eligibility for public
programs, by providing sliding-scale subsidies to low-income households
to help them purchase health insurance, and by requiring employers to provide
pre-tax plans to facilitate their employees' purchase of health insurance.
The commission's package of recommendations does not include a funding
plan for the suggested reforms. Spokesperson Edie Sonn said the legislature
directed the group to come up with proposals but not the means to fund
them. She said it would be the job of the legislature to figure out how
to pay for health-care reform.
The commission recently completed an administrative cost analysis, which
shows Colorado could save $167 million each year by simplifying and streamlining
administrative procedures related to health care.
Cost and coverage estimates for all five plans follow in order of least
to most expensive.
- Colorado Health Services Plan (single-payer): Decreased cost of $1.4 billion
per year. Remaining uninsured: 0.
- Solutions for a Healthy Colorado: Increased cost of $271 million per year.
Remaining uninsured: 133,400.
- Better Health Care for Colorado: Increased cost of $595 million per year.
Coloradans remaining uninsured: 467,200.
- Proposal by 208 Commission: Increased cost of $1.1 billion per year. Remaining
uninsured: 97,500.
- A Plan for Covering Coloradans: Increased cost of $1.3 billion per year.
Remaining uninsured: 106,500
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