Recent Work in this Area
Encouraging investment in primary care by insurers to reduce costs
CCHI helped pass HB19-1233, which is designed to encourage insurance companies to invest more of the premiums paid by consumer into primary care. By investing in primary care, insurers should be able to reduce more costly forms of care, and keep overall costs and health insurance premiums down.
Increasing hospital transparency and reporting
Hospitals account for nearly 40% of the money we spend on health care, and a number of hospital systems in Colorado are expanding. HB19-1001 will require all hospitals in Colorado to provide more information and financial reporting to show how they are spending the money they receive. This can lead to future opportunities to control health care costs.
Ensuring tax-exempt hospitals are providing community benefits in accordance with their preferential tax treatment
Non-profit hospitals are not subject to the same taxes as for-profit hospitals, and in return they are expected to provide a benefit to the community they serve. HB19-1320 builds on existing reporting requirements for non-profit hospitals to better ensure the community benefits non-profit hospitals provide align with the needs expressed by the community and help address social determinants of health.
Creating transparency and accountability in prescription drug pricing
Prescription drug costs are a widespread concern for Coloradans, and we’ve worked to pass legislation that focuses on accountabilility and transparency for drug corporations such as allowing pharmacists to dispese live-saving medications in an emergency without a prescription, capping monthly copays on insulin prescriptions, and requiring agents of drug companies to provide transparent cost information about their drug and comparable drugs when talking with prescribers. We have and will continue to pursue legislation that holds drug corporations accountable to Coloradans and clearly justify price increases.
Advocating for a drug importation program to bring lower cost prescription medications from Canada
No country in the world pays the same high costs for prescription drugs as we do in the United States. That’s why we helped pass legislation to design and implement a drug importation program to bring high-cost medications to Coloradans at a lower price.
Our Work
Protecting Consumers
Coloradans should not face financial hardship because they need access to health care or because they have received health care services. CCHI works to protect consumers from health care industry practices that jeopardize the health and financial security of Colorado families.
Access & Affordability
All Coloradans should have access to the health care they need, when they need it, and be able to afford it. While the Affordable Care Act has helped many Coloradans obtain health insurance, we know there are many that still struggle to access and afford the care they need because they cannot find a doctor or because the out-of-pocket costs are too high.
Health Equity
Structural barriers based on race, ethnicity, income, LGBTQ status, and age among others, prevent individuals from getting the health care they need and deserve. We work toward health equity by addressing systems of oppression and barriers that lead to disparate health outcomes.
At the Capitol
Every year, CCHI fights for policies and bills that improve health care for Coloradans during the legislative session and year round within Colorado’s agencies that oversee health care. CCHI ensures consumers interests are advanced and protected in private insurance, Medicaid, hospitals and physicians’ offices, and access to prescription drugs. We empower Coloradans to use their own health care experiences to make positive change.
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
303 E 17th Ave, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80203
303.839.1261
General: inform@cohealthinitiative.org
Assistance: help@cohealthinitiative.org
Media: afox@cohealthinitiative.org