Colorado Consumer Health Initiative

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Health insurance reform signed into law: Measure to prohibit rate increases based on employee health status and claims history signed by Governor Ritter

Monday, June 4th, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

6.1.07

CONTACT:

Ben Davis

303.522.6790

DENVER, CO: HB 1355, a measure to alleviate Colorado’s health care crisis, was signed into law by Governor Ritter today.

The new law, sponsored by Representative McGihon (D-Denver) and Senator Hagedorn (D-Aurora), will prohibit health insurance companies from rating up customers as a result of their health status or claims history. Health insurers are no longer able to increase the cost of their premiums for customers with current or past health conditions.

Despite strong opposition from the insurance industry, lawmakers approved the measure to reduce the challenges that small business owners and health care consumers face when trying to provide coverage for their employees.

In Colorado, the business community is comprised mostly of small firms with 50 or fewer employees. Small business owners are increasingly unable to offer their employees health insurance coverage, faced with rising costs, difficult decisions to either “thin” down insurance coverage or discontinue health insurance coverage altogether. (more…)

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RELEASE: New surveys show ID requirements cost more than they save

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Thursday, May 31, 2007

CONTACTS:

Ben Davis 303-522-6790

Scott Downes 303-573-5669 ext. 306

*** Additional contacts below

New surveys show ID requirements cost more than they save

Workers spend longer on Medicaid applications due to new law

Denver, CO—Three Colorado nonprofit organizations are advocating changes to the Citizen Documentation requirements in a new federal Medicaid law—the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA)—calling the requirements a huge burden on the state, counties, and citizens in need of critical services. The Colorado Center on Law and Policy, Colorado Covering Kids and Families, and the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative cited new data from two surveys released today by the Colorado Health Institute as evidence of a growing problem in the state’s health care system.

“These surveys show that Congress passed a law that essentially drains state resources and prevents citizens from getting the services they need,” said Elisabeth Arenales, Health Care Program Director at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy. “There’s a real concern about this law and its role in decreasing Medicaid enrollment, increasing administrative costs, and denying U.S. citizens critical services.” (more…)

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RELEASE: Health insurance protections pass first floor vote

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4.11.07 CONTACT: Ben Davis 303.522.6790

Health insurance protections pass first floor vote

Measure to prohibit rate increases based on employee health status and claims history passes today DENVER, CO: HB 1335, a measure to alleviate Colorado’s health care crisis, was approved in the first of two votes by the House of Representatives. The measure, sponsored by Representatives Anne McGihon and Tom Massey, will prohibit health insurance companies from rating up customers as a result of their health status or claims history. Under current law, health insurers are able to increase the cost of their premiums for customers with current or past health conditions. "High health insurance rates are a problem throughout Colorado because we are allowing insurance companies to increase their rates based on our health and our claims history." said Representative McGihon. "It’s time we change our health insurance system so that it isn’t only for the healthy." Despite strong opposition from the insurance industry, House members voted for the measure to reduce the challenges that small business owners and health care consumers face when trying to provide coverage for their employees. (more…)

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