Posted on 03/28/2013 8:01:47 PM PDT by Red Steel
Colorado state Sen. Irene Aguilar has finally introduced her much-anticipated constitutional amendment to create a state-run universal health care system in Colorado. And both the details and some of the reactions are as anticipated.
Aguilar, a Denver Democrat and a physician, proposes in Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 to assess a 6 percent payroll tax on employers, a 3 percent payroll tax on workers and a 9 percent income-tax hike to pay for what would be the first publicly run universal system in America. Both totals are slightly hired than Aguilar anticipated when she held a public meeting to air the idea in December.
But the basic concept remains the same: Accountable care organizations (ACOs) consisting of health-care providers and plan administrators would pursue clients and receive monthly fees from the state government for each Colorado resident that is part of their plan.
Those plan administrators could include private insurers, but those insurers only would oversee clients and would not take money directly from Coloradans in exchange for services.
Each state resident would, through these ACOs, receive standard benefits available today, ranging from preventive care to mental health treatment to emergency care. The Colorado Health Care Cooperative that would oversee this new system would not charge deductibles or copayments for designated preventive or primary-care services, and it would allow each state resident to choose their own primary care provider.
Aguilar’s goals for the creation of the cooperative are to improve the general health of the population, enhance patient experiences and control the rising cost of health care. Despite objections to the concept from business groups across Colorado, she believes the idea could find support among employers and lays out a sentence in the first section of the proposal explaining why.
“Businesses need relief from the unsustainable financial and administrative burdens of providing health insurance for their employees and from the complicated and frequently misunderstood plans and benefits the insurers provide,” SCR 2 states.
Aguilar has structured the plan as a constitutional amendment so that the people of Colorado can weigh in on such an important decision. Doing so means that she would have to get the support of at least four Senate Republicans and seven House Republicans in order to get the two-thirds backing of the Legislature needed to put an amendment onto the statewide ballot.
At a Colorado Consumer Health Initiative event earlier this month, she said she will try to seek out GOP colleagues who complain that systems like Medicaid and Medicare are not working and will try to convince them that by revamping the system, they can improve health care.
But the industry most affected by the proposed changes — the health insurance industry — signaled once again Thursday that it’s not planning to support such a radical overhaul of the current environment.
Ben Price, executive director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans, noted that insurers have worked with the state and federal governments on all of the changes already planned through federal health care reform and that those changes need time to show that they can increase the number of people with insurance.
“Meanwhile, it’s our position that the focus of the ongoing conversation needs to become the cost of providing health care (which is what dictates the cost of insurance itself),” Price wrote in an email. “The annual increases we are seeing to providing that care are not sustainable, and that’s why our members are currently involved in pilot programs with providers that reward quality care and move away from paying per illness or incident.”
Aguilar has a very tough road ahead of her to getting SCR 2 on the ballot. But the long-rumored effort is officially underway now.
Interesting.
This after the gun grab move.
I was planning to retire here, but after fleeing a third world toilet, New York, and California, I will have to move again.
Not too many places to take refuge from the scum!
“...hike to pay for what would be the first publicly run universal system in America.”
The Denver DUmbs can’t wait for ObamaCare.
...... to assess a 6 percent payroll tax on employers, a 3 percent payroll tax on workers and a 9 percent income-tax hike to pay......
Isn’t that just so “Progressive”!
Seriously????? State Income tax is already 4.63% plus an additional 18%?
You read correctly plus 18% more. They’re nuts.
Seriously????? State Income tax is already 4.63% plus an additional 18%?
Yeah, that’s really going to attract businesses and boost the economy. /s
Tax dollars and control are to representatives of the Democratic [sic] party as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine to drug addicts.
I hope the dems tax the idiots in Colorado so hard and heavy that they can’t afford to pay their bills..that would be hilarious.
In CO the hits just keep rolling, I am really glad I do not live there.
“Yeah, that’s really going to attract businesses and boost the economy. /s”
You forget. Communist detest and have a deep disdain for capitalism. The could care less about attracting business.
These damn liberals have been pushing “social insurance” AKA Universal heath since that was the king of all liberal college courses in 1970. I had a 60 plus year old commie professer pushing that course on us at Nebraska Omaha then.
What is ironic is the crap sounds OK until one has enough business and econ courses to know how damn detrimental it is. Also when you insure every 5’3” 200 plus pound female and even more obese men-you have costs out that ass.
I’m not from Colorado and know nothing more about this but the proposed income tax would be at just a hair over 5%, up from 4.63.
Many people won’t like to hear this but Washington State’s health plan works pretty well and there is no state income tax. Believe me, any sane person would rather be on it than on Obamacare, if commercial is not an option for whatever reason.
I heard the same thing from a buddy from Washington.
They’re scared that the new extended family Immigration Reform is going to foul it up big time.
Washington State kicked illegals off a few years ago (even kids, some of whom went to a different program!), but Obamacare may well screw it up, as Obama and the Demopublicans ruin practically everything medical and otherwise.
Really hilarious. I live here and already pay way too much in tax. But thank you for your kind thoughts....I hope you get to share my tax rate soon.
Pothead state going down the blue toilet. Shocking.
That sounds like what my buddy was talking about. He mentioned “extended families”.
I’m in Colorado. Thanks for the nice thoughts./s
But I know what you mean.
“Yeah, that’s really going to attract businesses and boost the economy. /s
You forget. Communist detest and have a deep disdain for capitalism. The could care less about attracting business.
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