Health Care Reform in Colorado
President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- the federal health care reform bill -- into law on March 23, 2010. This Act presents an opportunity for Colorado to deliver better value for each health care dollar, to create a culture of health with a focus on healthy living and wellness, and to expand access to health care that is affordable. Despite the historic significance of federal health care reform, transformation must also be built at the community level by all parties working in collaboration to improve cost, quality and access. My administration will help ensure the successful implementation of national health reforms at the state and local levels, and the resources available through this website will be part of that effort.
What's New?
- September 1 - Benefits of the Affordable Care Act - A New Fact Sheet
- August 31 - Nearly 2,000 Employers and Unions Approved Into New Program to Provide Health Coverage to Early Retirees
- August 17 - $1M Grant to Enhance Health Insurance Premium Rate Review Process
- August 13 - Community Health Centers and the Affordable Care Act
Health Insurance Exchange Forums
Under the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states have critical responsibilities for implementation of new federal policies. One critical area for planning is the development of exchanges, or virtual marketplaces, where thousands of currently uninsured Coloradans will seek information to select and purchase health insurance. Many of these individuals and families will be eligible for federal subsidies to help them pay their insurance premiums.
The Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved (CCMU), the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI), and the Health Reform Implementation Board are working together to host a series of community forums, facilitated by Gretchen Hammer from CCMU, to discuss the options for our state, as well as to seek and collect input from stakeholders and consumers. We will also provide fact sheets describing the requirements of a health insurance exchange.
We invite you to attend any/all of the forums, at their respective dates and locations. We will hold at least three meetings outside of the Denver Metro area; dates and times to be determined.
Business Impacts and Benefits
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Business Benefits
Does your business qualify for the new tax credit of up to 35 percent of your share of health, dental, and vision insurance premiums?
Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers
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Lorez Meinhold, Director of Health Reform Implementation, Steve ErkenBrack, President and CEO of Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Leo Tokar, Senior Vice President of Lockton Companies did a series of presentation for businesses in Colorado on the health care implementation status in Colorado as well as its ramifications for employers.
Health care reform legislation will require employers to provide employees and dependents with notice of material plan modifications 60 days in advance of the modifications becoming effective. To ensure dependent notification, employers should send plan change notices to employees' homes rather than or in addition to providing them directly to employees at work. Often health insurance plan changes are determined just prior to open enrollment and open enrollment takes place right before the beginning of the new plan year. With the new 60-day advance notice requirements employers need to plan further ahead then they may be accustomed to. (Source: Mountain States Employer Council).
How Coloradans Will Benefit
- The Act will lower health care costs for Colorado families and small businesses. A study by the New America Foundation shows that implementing reform in Colorado can reduce the cost of private insurance premiums by 10 to 25 percent.
- The Act will provide coverage to 500,000 currently uninsured Coloradans.
- Expanding health insurance coverage will strengthen the economy and create new jobs for Coloradans – as many 23,000 new jobs by 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does this reform do for Coloradans?
A: It ends the worst insurance company practices and outlaws discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions; It reduces costs for people with insurance and makes coverage more affordable for people without it today; It sets up a new competitive insurance marketplace where small business owners and families get the same buying power and insurance choices that all members of Congress will have to allow them to shop for the insurance plan that works best for them; and It increases the number of Coloradans with health care coverage.