THE COLORADO HEALTH FOUNDATION "Together, we can make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation by improving access to quality healthcare and by empowering Coloradans to take charge of their health."
THE COLORADO TRUST. Advancing the health and well-being of the people of Colorado.
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. Advancing Science, Improving Care.
DELTA DENTAL OF COLORADO: Our mission is to improve the oral health of the communities we serve. How do we do that? By offering accessible coverage to Coloradoans so they receive the care they need when they need it.
THE COLORADO PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: The Colorado Psychological Association's close to 500 members become stronger and more united when joined by consumers and advocates of psychology in Colorado.
KAISER FOUNDATION: We stand for total health.
COLORADO ACCESS is a nonprofit health plan that provides access to behavioral and physical health services for medically underserved Coloradans. Established in 1994, the company is sponsored by The Children's Hospital, Colorado Community Managed Care Network and University of Colorado Hospital/University Physicians, Inc.
Reform Questions Continue to Loom
Reuters reports that "President Barack Obama's drive to overhaul the U.S.
healthcare system may be back on track thanks to Senate efforts to cut
the price tag to $1 trillion, but a bipartisan deal on the sweeping
proposal still is far from certain ... Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Max Baucus was upbeat last week after announcing that panel
members had found ways to bring the price tag to about $1 trillion over
10 years, down from an earlier estimate of a staggering $1.6 trillion
... Instead, the core group of negotiators -- three Democrats and four
Republicans -- issued a tepid statement on Thursday merely affirming
their commitment to continue negotiations."
But bipartisan
support has not been entirely evident. "Several Senate Republicans,
including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have been speaking out daily
in opposition to Obama's healthcare ideas. They are expected to
continue the effort in July when Democratic leaders hope a bill will be
ready for Senate consideration. 'We have some problems with access and
with cost which can be addressed without wrecking the best healthcare
system in the world,' McConnell said on FOX News Sunday'" (Smith,
6/28).
The effort also faces incoming attacks from more liberal lawmakers attacking members of the Democratic party, The Washington Post reports: "In the high-stakes battle over health care, a growing cadre
of liberal activists is aiming its sharpest firepower against
Democratic senators who they accuse of being insufficiently committed
to the cause. ... The rising tensions between Democratic legislators
and constituencies that would typically be their natural allies
underscore the high hurdles for Obama as he tries to hold together a
diverse, fragile coalition. Activists say they are simply pressing for
quick delivery of 'true health reform,' but the intraparty rift runs
the risk of alienating centrist Democrats who will be needed to pass a
bill" (Connolly, 6/28).
New Polls Find Support for Health Reform, Fear of Costs
A series of new polls this week show
support for major health care reform, but trepidation about certain
policy proposals, and anxiety about quickly growing health care costs,
the possibility of losing coverage, and the federal budget deficit in general.
Associated Press:
A poll by the University of Michigan has found that "nearly half of all
Americans worried about paying for future [health] care," while
one-quarter fear losing their insurance coverage, and about as many
said they had delayed care this year because of cost concerns. The poll
was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Kerr, 6/17).
Wall Street Journal:
"On health care, the public remains open to persuasion. Without being
told anything specific about [President Obama's] plan in the survey,
about a third of people said it's a good idea, about a third said it's
a bad idea and the rest had no opinion. When given several details of
his approach, 55% said they favored it, versus 35% who were opposed,"
according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. Support for a public
health insurance plan reached nearly 75 percent when no details were
given, but less than half preferred specific arguments supporting the
plan to those critical of it (Meckler, 6/18).
Massachusetts, Tennessee Health Plans Might Offer Ideas on U.S. Health Care System Overhaul
Congressional lawmakers who are crafting a plan to overhaul the U.S.
health care system might be able to look to state health insurance
programs in Massachusetts and Tennessee for ideas, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Health
reform legislation modeled after Massachusetts' near-universal health
insurance law "is likely to emerge" in Congress, "although details
remain unsettled," the AP/Star Tribune reports. The plan also could include components of Tennessee's CoverTN program, which charges beneficiaries who smoke or are overweight higher premiums. Lawmakers in the Senate already have discussed a lifestyle tax funding mechanism, such as taxes on alcohol and sugary beverages. According to AP/Star Tribune,
Massachusetts "chose to cover virtually everyone," while Tennessee
"chose to get just a few more people bare-bones insurance at a budget
price with limits on how much plans would pay for hospital stays."
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