By Gretchen Hammer, Colorado Coalition for the
and Ashlin Spinden of Metro Area for People
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. has a new health care mantra: “Because we didn’t wait for Washington, Colorado is now one of the best-positioned states in the nation to effectively implement health care reform.” Governor Ritter has made this statement in public appearances, signing ceremonies, and everywhere else he has been to talk about health care in the last few months. And, he is right. Colorado is taking bold actions to propel us forward toward successful implementation.
As a key first step, Governor Ritter has established, through an Executive Order, a state Director of Health Care Reform Implementation, naming Lorez Meinhold, his current Senior Health Policy Analyst to the position. The Executive Order also established the Interagency Health Reform Implementing Board which will provide an administrative infrastructure for the numerous departments and agencies working on implementation. In addition, the state has established a central website for all things related to health reform.
Another key component of our progress toward reform is the expansion of Medicaid for parents up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. This expansion, as well as the expansion of our CHIP program (Child Health Plan Plus) to 250% of FPL became effective May 1, 2010 as part of the Colorado Healthcare Affordability Act passed by the state legislature in 2009. Financed through a hospital provider fee and using no state general funds, this law increases payment for hospitals and funds a number of public coverage expansions. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing estimates 44,000 parents and 24,000 children and pregnant women are eligible through these expansions.
In the state’s third bold act, Colorado State Senate President Brandon Shaffer publicly agreed to take the HHS Secretary’s Connecting Kids To Coverage Challenge. During a meeting to promote access to health care for all children sponsored by the Boulder Valley Community Action Network, a member of Metro Organizations for People and the All Kids Covered Initiative, Senate President Shaffer heard personal testimony from members of the community about Medicaid and CHP+ being a life-saving resource for their families. Boulder Valley Community Action Network then asked Senate President Shaffer to accept “The Secretary’s Challenge: Connecting Kids to Coverage.” The “challenge” is a five-year campaign challenging leaders to build on the successes of the CHIP and Medicaid program by finding the remaining five million eligible but unenrolled children nationwide. Without hesitation, Senate President Shaffer accepted the challenge and shared his vision of a streamlined enrollment process free of barriers, public service announcements educating the public about these programs, and implementing the recently passed 12-month continuous eligibility to ensure that all eligible families are enrolled into Medicaid and CHP+. As one of the first elected officials in the country to accept the Secretary’s challenge, Senate President Shaffer has set a high bar for all of us to continue to act boldly and get all kids in Colorado covered.
Editor’s Note: The views expressed by Guest Bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center for Children and Families.
