MEDIA RELEASE
Wed., May 26, 2021
Contact: Adam Fox, 303-563-9108, afox@cohealthinitiative.org
“This is a huge accomplishment that will bring more affordable and equitable insurance options to Coloradans.”
DENVER – Today, the Colorado Senate approved the Colorado Option bill, HB21-1232, putting the bill one quick step away from the Governor’s desk. The bill requires one final vote in the House to concur with Senate amendments, meaning the bill, strongly supported by health consumer advocates and Coloradans (as evidenced in various polls) – is nearly finalized.
By requiring insurers, hospitals, and health care providers to work together to offer lower premiums for small businesses and individuals and by creating a standardized plan to lower out-of-pocket costs, the bill will improve health equity and financial security for Coloradans.
“This is a huge accomplishment that will bring more affordable and equitable insurance options to Coloradans,” said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “By reducing costs on a standardized plan structure that provides lower out-of-pocket costs, deductibles and copays, more Coloradans will be able to get the care they need through Colorado Option plans. With 1.15 million Coloradans struggling to afford their health care pre-pandemic, this is a vital step forward to improve the health and financial security of Coloradans.
“Coloradans and our communities do better when they have affordable insurance options that improve access to care. That’s what this bill delivers. We are controlling the underlying costs of care and holding the health care industry accountable to deliver the lower costs and better access they have said they can achieve for the Coloradans who need it most. This makes fundamental advances to address racial health disparities that persist and that this pandemic has underscored and worsened.”
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that represents 40+ Colorado health organizations with more than 500,000 health care consumers advocating for equitable access to high-quality, affordable health care. In 2018, CCHI received the “Get Wise” Consumer Protection award from the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
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