Get ready for effort to derail health care reform in Colorado

By Bell Policy Center
Denver, Co.- Just as we are beginning to see the benefits of federal health care reform -seniors getting help to bridge the gap in Medicares prescription drug coverage, young adults staying on their parents health insurance plans and small businesses receiving tax credits to provide health coverage- Coloradans are faced with an attempt to take them away.

Last Friday, Jon Caldara of the Independence Institute turned in more than 130,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment that would block national health care reform in Colorado. The secretary of state is reviewing the signatures, but with only 76,000 needed it is likely to appear on the ballot on Nov. 2. Colorado is not the only state where voters will face efforts to block or nullify health care reform. In Missouri yesterday, primary voters approved a similar proposal by a lopsided margin, and efforts are under way in 11 other states, all supported by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Americans for Prosperity and other groups opposed to reform.

The proposal in Colorado would exempt the state from the insurance provisions in the federal Affordable Care Act. It carries the misleading title of "Health Care Choice," when in fact it would greatly limit Colorados options as it implements reforms and, as a result, would likely make insurance more costly. Further, the amendments language is so broad and so lacking in definition that it could have a number of far-reaching consequences. For example, it could prevent Colorado from setting minimum standards for medical professionals and from regulating the procedures they are allowed to perform.

It may also prevent the state from requiring people who receive Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) to enroll in lower-cost managed-care plans. The only thing that seems certain is that the amendment would would be tied up for years in litigation. Colorados proposal is opposed by the Colorado Medical Society, Colorado Hospital Association, Colorado Community Health Network, Colorado Childrens Campaign, Colorado Center for Law and Policy and Club 20, among others.