Projects

Getting the care you need, when you need it, is not too much to ask. The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is participating in a number of collaborative efforts to increase access to health care for all Coloradans, inform Coloradans about health system policy and educate them about health care reform.

Public Education and Earned Media Project
Boomers Leading Change in Health (BLCiH)
Building Public Will to Achieve Access to Health
A Women’s Agenda for State Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
Colorado Voices for Coverage
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Implementation Fund
PPACA Implementation Project (PIP)

Public Education and Earned Media Project

As a part of this project, CCHI and ProgressNow Colorado Education have initiated the Thanks Obamacare campaign. Thanks Obamacare is an online education campaign about the Affordable Care Act and how it is lowering the cost of care, improving access to care and increasing the quality of care. The campaign, which features a website, the top 10 reasons to Thank Obamacare, a timeline of the implementation of the law, the top 10 myths about Obamacare and an interactive game has thus far been successful in drawing media coverage to the benefits of the Affordable Care Act. The campaign will continue through 2012.

This project is funded by the Families USA Innovation Fund.

Boomers Leading Change in Health

Boomers Leading Change in Health (BLCiH) is a program helping baby boomers in Colorado get involved in the growing health care system as volunteer advocates, health care navigators and community health workers. The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) has partnered with BLCiH to provide advocacy and policy training to BLCiH volunteers. 

For more information or to get involved in BLCiH please visit our Boomers Page.

The BLCiH initiative is funded by: 

• Rose Community Foundation
• Community Experience Partnership: engaging older adults for civic good
• An initiative from The Atlantic Philanthropies

Building Public Will to Achieve Access to Health

The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is one of 14 organizations selected to receive grant support from The Colorado Trust to help increase Coloradans’ understanding of health care issues, including expanding health coverage and achieving a more effective, cost-efficient health care system. CCHI is working to increase awareness and understanding among Coloradans; as well as strengthen the ability of advocates and champions to effectively, consistently communicate the problems of inadequate access to health and to support credible solutions needed to achieve and sustain expanded access to health.

A Women’s Agenda for State Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

The Colorado Consumer Health initiative is working with the National Women’s Law Center and organizations in Colorado to strengthen the women’s perspective related to Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation and to raise public awareness on aspects of ACA implementation that are important to women and women’s health. 

Colorado Voices for Coverage (CVC)

Colorado Voices for Coverage (CVC) is part of a national grant program from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This project supports state health care coverage efforts by fostering strong and robust advocacy infrastructures.

The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is leading the statewide collaboration. The goal of this collaborative project is to increase access to health care for all Coloradans. Our objective is to expand the capacity of consumer constituencies to achieve meaningful health care reform in Colorado. We define meaningful health care reform as expanding coverage to the underinsured and uninsured, while decreasing the high costs that are significant barriers to access.

If you have questions on this program please contact Chloe Benson at 303.839.1261 or chloe@cohealthinitiative.org.

This project is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Rose Community Foundation.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Implementation Fund Project

The ACA Implementation Fund Project aims to bring consumer voices to the table in the design and implementation of Colorado’s Health Benefit Exchange, to ensure that the Exchange increases access to affordable, high-quality health insurance and to maximize the impact consumer advocates have in the implementation of the ACA. Tools such as advocacy, public education, coalition building and grassroots organizing will be used.

There are two project partners in addition to CCHI, Colorado Center on Law and Policy and Colorado Public Interest Research Group

Community Catalyst manages this project.  Collaboration to create the Fund is supported by the following national foundations:

• The Atlantic Philanthropies
• The California Endowment
• The Nathan Cummings Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• The Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation
• The Rockefeller Foundation.

The following local foundations provided a match to the original funding:

• The Colorado Health Foundation
• Caring for Colorado Foundation
• Rose Community Foundation

For more information about the ACA Implementation Fund Project contact Melanie Herrera Bortz at 303.586.1693 or melanierhb@gmail.com.

PPACA Implementation Project (PIP)

PIP is a one-year initiative that focuses on policy analysis and advocacy, as well as coalition building and network engagement. PIP is made up of two main focus areas: 1) Colorado Health Benefit Exchange and 2) consumer-oriented private market reforms that are equivalent to or stronger than Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) reforms.

PIP will work to ensure that consumer protections are maximized during the formation of Colorado's Health Benefit Exchange.  The team will also work to align state laws with federal laws, and defend against attempts to derail or scale back progress that has already been made to implement PPACA.  

PIP is funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and managed by Community Catalyst.  For more information on PIP contact Deb Judy at 303.839.1261 or djudy@cohealthinitiative.org.

This project is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

CCHI receives generous support from individuals, member organizations and foundations for its ongoing advocacy work to achieve its mission to achieve barrier-free access to quality and affordable health care for all Coloradans.  The following foundations provide critical support to CCHI:

• The Colorado Health Foundation