Health care costs have been a persistent and increasing concern for Coloradans in recent years as more and more Coloradans struggle to afford health coverage and care. In the lead up to the 2020 election, polling from the West Health Foundation (conducted by Global Strategy Group) and released in partnership with the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI), shows that health care concerns are top of mind as Coloradans cast their ballots. With an estimated 450,000 Coloradans having lost health insurance coverage because of COVID-19 and 1.7 million choosing not to seek care because of cost in the midst of the pandemic, Coloradans’ concerns about high health care costs have only increased.
This polling shows just how important health care is for Coloradans in this 2020 election, and clearly shows the need for actions to maintain Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act at the federal and state level, but also shows the need for innovations that can lower health care costs like a public option.