Commission Releases Final Recommendations For Overhauling Colorado Health Care System

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 05 Feb 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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The Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Healthcare Reform on Thursday released its final recommendations for overhauling the state's health care system, including a requirement that all state residents obtain health coverage, the AP/Denver Post reports. The commission also recommended that the state increase funding for Medicaid and children's health care. The panel was appointed to make recommendations that would extend health coverage to the state's 800,000 uninsured residents.

Other recommendations include:

• Creating subsidies for low-income workers to purchase private insurance;
  
  
• Requiring insurers to provide coverage to any applicant who does not have a pre-existing health condition;
  
  
• Extending eligibility in CoverColorado to residents with pre-existing conditions whose incomes are too high to qualify for low-income health programs;
  
  
• Requiring businesses that do not offer workers health coverage to provide plans to help employees purchase private insurance;
  
  
• Streamlining health care-related administrative functions to bring down costs; and
  
  
• Encouraging wellness programs and insurance rewards for maintaining healthy behaviors and undergoing preventive care.
  

William Lindsay, chair of the commission, said, "These recommendations represent a bold, yet realistic, approach to providing high-quality, affordable health care to all Coloradans, a roadmap for reform." Members of the commission said that their recommendations would cost millions of dollars. However, the commission did not outline possible funding mechanisms, which will have to be decided by state lawmakers (Paulson, AP/Denver Post, 1/31).

The commission's final report is available online.

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