Over decades, business owners have watched with reluctant disappointment as politicians have eagerly pitched government-provided solutions. Sadly, here in Colorado—a state where we pride ourselves on pragmatic solutions—elected state leaders have begun to adopt this big government mentality.
A recent health care proposal touted by state lawmakers for a “Colorado Health Insurance Option” is likely to create less access to quality care, put an unsustainable strain on our health care system, and, ultimately, it could push many into one-size-fits-all plans that ignores their unique needs.
As evidence shows, top-down government interference in the health care market produces poor results. The state of Washington is experiencing the repercussions of their so-called “public option” program after reporting premiums increases for 2021 – nearly 30 percent more expensive than the plans available through the ACA’s 2020 marketplace. Washington’s first-in-the-nation experiment exposes government health insurance programs back-fire by causing significant disruption in access across the health care system, increased in premiums for families and threatens the value of employer-sponsored insurance. If this tells us anything, Colorado will likely have the same fate.
The public option proposal devised by state lawmakers creates a false narrative. House Bill 21-1232 does not meet the health care industry halfway. The sponsors have insistently elbowed healthcare leaders in any debate that challenges their proposal while publicly claiming they want to work together. House Bill 21-1232 enforces unattainable cost-cutting measures to set up the health care industry to fail at a time of recovery following the pandemic. Additionally, House Bill 21-1232 offers no economic impact analysis for the small group market. That offers little reassurance to employers, whose hiring and investment decisions have to assume the likely outcome that prices will go up or accept government-run plans—as state officials have suggested.
Health care affordability should not come at the expense of most residents’ care and coverage. It should not come at the expense of business owners, who strive to ensure employees have access to high-quality plans that are tailored to their needs. Colorado businesses have gone through enough uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic and experimenting with an unproven health care proposal with more overburdensome regulations is the last thing businesses need to consider.
Even in the middle of a pandemic, Colorado’s integrated health system is on the right path and works to provide Coloradans with access, coverage and care at a time when they most need it. Collaboration among rural and urban hospital systems in the state became a national model on best practices to share resources and data to serve all of Colorado. From coordinating free-testing sites to caring for patients among other critical needs, hospitals have contributed all they have and even more to their communities during this health care crisis.
Now is not the time for policy makers to pursue an untested proposal that could disrupt Colorado’s entire health care system, especially given the immense hardships individuals and businesses across the state are facing due to the economic downturn that has followed the pandemic. Lawmakers should tap the brakes on House Bill 21-1232. Instead, we should explore real solutions that bring all sides of the industry to the table to address the factors causing health care costs to rise and improve what’s working in health care.
Kevin Hougen, is president and CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce
This writer paraphrases the typical doom and gloom that we hear from conservatives. Whether the things he says will happen actually do remains to be seen. And of course his perspective is that of small businesses whereas the legislature has to look out for all people and all businesses.
I can say that if I were a legislator I would support whatever bill the lobbyists oppose. I’m talking about the lobbyists from the AMA, the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry. I suspect in the end, we’ll have whatever the money buys.
Yes, we all know how hard the valiant insurance industry has worked to provide affordable, quality health care to all.
Haha, no, just kidding. Virtually alone among modern industrial nations, the United States set a shining example of how to screw the citizenry by leaving it to the tender mercies of the insurance companies. What did that get us? Millions and milllions of Americans fought to hang on until Medicare kicked in, as that was the only way to get coverage. Not everyone was able to, but those folks, who are no longer with us, were just the sacrificial victims to the gods of profit.
No wonder the rest of the developed world considers us insane. They actually care about their citizens. Until the ACA, so many people went without and died. Now that we have a modicum of available and affordable insurance coverage, the pigs feeding at the trough have their knickers in a bunch.
We’re not listening, because we’ve heard it all before. Where were you when we needed you? Oh yeah: counting your money.
Mr. HOUGEN: First, you might clarify “small business”. Then you might offer realistic solutions instead of the usual fear mongering. I just heard a conservative radio host complain about a major hospital where he went for Emergency treatment where it was so crowded he left. No reason for that. Regulation would help. More health care workers encouraged by our state legislators might help. Streamlined coverages instead of stripped down coverage for the peasants and gold coverage for those who can afford it…..healthcare is a right….yes! Make it so!