Healthcare Reform Team

We Did It!  We Did It!

Nobody thinks this is the final answer on health care reform. But it is a great start and we have all been schooled about how hard it is to make any important social change, how much hysteria and division occurs during these times. Since passage, we have seen how frightened and angry certain segments of society are. We can play a role in making these reforms work by educating ourselves and others, and by playing a community role in those efforts.

State Legislation

Here you will find up to date information on Colorado State Healthcare Legislation.

• HB 1266 – Concerning the inclusion of Employees of Specified Employers in Certain Aspects of State Group Benefit Plans at the Option of the Employer or Health Ins for Local Gov and Small Business – (Frangas, None) –Would allow small businesses, local govs, non-profits with less than 100 employees to take part in state-negotiated health insurance plans. Fiscal Note >$1 million for start-up year. After that would be self-sustaining. Premiums cannot be determined until risk pool defined. Limited number of insurers available currently. An estimated 19,000 more individuals and small business employees are estimated to join.  ACT Leadership applauds the idea. Anything that increases access to health care is valuable.

• HB 1166- Plain Language in Insurance Policies - (Kefalas, Newell) Assigned to Business Affairs and Labor Committee. Requires insurance companies to write policies in plain language. This is defined as 12 pt font and at 10th grade level (score of 60 on applicable converting software).  This should not be an unreasonable burden on business because there is software available that converts materials into this level of reading difficulty. Additionally, most other states have similar readability requirements. DORA recommends we adopt this to help empower consumers and reduce misunderstandings and complaints that come in large numbers to that office.  It is not retroactive; it is for new and reissued policies only. ACT leadership strongly supports.

• HB 1330 - All Payer Claims Database or Cost Transparency Bill (Frangas, Kefalas,Newell) –Would establish an Authority to fundraise and advise for the establishment of a Center for Increasing Value in Healthcare, which would be central collection of all claims information from all payers. This information would provide data to evaluate the cost of procedures, visits, and would capture costs paid by insurance and also those paid by patients.  Eleven other states are in the process of establishing such systems. Currently private insurers do not share data and their data is impossible to acquire or study.  ACT leadership strongly supports.

• HB 1008 – Gender Rating  (Shafer, Carroll) Passed and Signed Equalizes premiums for men and women. Currently women pay 40% more than men.  ACT strongly supported.

• HB 1021 – Required Coverage Reproductive Services (Frangas, Foster) Requires that individual insurance policies provide maternity care.  Currently Co is one of only two states which does not have such a law. Passed the House so far.  ACT leadership strongly supports. ACT was instrumental in bringing this to the legislature for consideration.

• HB 1160 – Wellness Incentives Rewards Outcomes – (Rep Rice) Allows for premiums to be rated according to compliance with wellness programs at work.   ACT leadership opposes this bill out of concerns that this perpetuates a segregation of health care costs into healthy vs sick, able vs unable, wealthy vs financially disadvantaged. We believe all should have the same opportunities, the same options, the same costs. We are concerned about the punitive tone of this bill.  There is also concern that this may adversely affect the doctor-patient relationship, encouraging patients to lie to their doctor about their compliance just to get a lower insurance premium.

• Budget Revenue Enhancements -  Republicans and business, including the Chambers of Commerce, have been actively opposing, but most are going through.

• Patient Safety and Professional Accountability Act – Not yet introduced. Proposed by Colorado Medical Society. Allows for doctors to talk with injured patients after a medical injury without having their words used against them in court. Does not change or prohibit any of the usual discovery mechanisms and does not prevent any patient from suing any provider.  ACT requests more input from its membership on this bill.