Deja Vu? CO’s Health Care Cost Analysis Act Shelved by Democratic House Speaker

Was Colorado’s House Speaker Crisanta Duran taking a page from California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon‘s book  when she blocked introduction of the Health Care Cost Analysis Act of 2018?Read the letter about the status of the bill from Ivan J. Miller, Ph.D. and judge for yourself if this is a coincidence or a strategy.

Drafted by the Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care and ready for introduction by Rep. Edie Hooten and Senator Irene Aguilar, the Health Care Cost Analysis Act would have given  Coloradans the opportunity to compare and contrast alternative healthcare financing mechanisms. To support Colorado’s universal healthcare movement, make a tax-deductible donation here!

(Republished with permission of Ivan J. Miller, Ph.D., Executive Director of Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care .)

 

House Speaker Crisanta Duran won’t grant 
Rep. Edie Hooton permission to introduce the 
Health Care Cost Analysis Act of 2018

Speaker Duran, along with either the House Majority Leader and/or the House Minority Leader, can either grant or deny permission to introduce bills that are submitted to House leadership for consideration after the December deadline. Rep. Hooton requested late bill permission on March 7.

Early in January, Rep. Hooton agreed to introduce the Health Care Cost Analysis Act of 2018 in the House. Sen. Irene Aguilar, MD, agreed to sponsor the bill in the Senate. Drafted by the Foundation, this legislation would have informed Coloradans of the cost and impact of five different ways to finance health care:
  1. The current system
  2. Universal health care through insurance companies
  3. Universal health care through a mix of public and employer-sponsored insurance
  4. Universal health care, privately delivered, financed by a single public financing entity
  5. A new Medicaid buy-in public option on the Exchange
The analysis would have shined light on the cost of big medicine’s huge bureaucracy and profits, fostered discussions with patients and providers across Colorado, and made the alternatives to our current health care financing system apparent to all Coloradans.
  • Call Speaker Duran at 303-866-2925 and tell her Coloradans need and deserve information about all proposals. You can also email her: crisanta.duran.house@state.co.us
  • Ask all political candidates if they will support and endorse analysis and discussion about the best way to control health care costs and assure all Coloradans have excellent health care.
Rep. Hooton has committed to bring back the Health Care Cost Analysis Act this December for the 2019 legislative session. All legislators have authority to introduce five bills at the beginning of each session, with or without approval from House leadership. In the meantime, we need to put supportive candidates into office. Let candidates know that lip service to universal health care is not enough. Even if they are not ready to champion a Colorado universal health care system right now, ask them to at least commit to ongoing discussions and an analysis.
We are here for the long haul. Your financial contributions grow this movement and make it stronger.
Let’s make history!

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