Updated CRHC Bill Tracker Posted

Enjoy!

Boosting the U.S. Healthcare Workforce

A new article in Health Affairs by John Iglehart discusses the challenge of addressing the nation’s healthcare workforce shortages, suggesting that any efforts will require federal funding and creative solutions from Congress and the White House.

Stories Needed in Support of Insurance Expansions

As posted on CRHC’s bill tracker, HB11-1025 is a bill to repeal the Hospital Provider Fee. The Colorado Hospital Association is leading efforts, in collaboration with other organizations including CRHC, to oppose HB11-1025. Since its passage two years ago, the Provider Fee has helped increase access to healthcare for medically underserved Coloradans and reduced the amount of uncompensated care provided by hospitals without drawing on Colorado’s General Fund. To protect the Provider Fee, as well as current and future coverage expansions, please share your story if you have benefitted from expanded coverage (or will benefit from future expansions) by emailing Alicia Haywood at ah@coruralhealth.org.  As a reminder, the expansions include: increase Medicaid eligibility for parents from 60% to 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL); increase CHP+ eligibility for children and pregnant women to 250% FPL; option for people with disabilities to buy into the Medicaid program up to 450% FPL; and allow eligibility for adults without dependent children up to 100% FPL. 

Updated Bill Tracker Now Available

Click to read CRHC's updated bill tracker.

Update on federal health reform

In March 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law. Since that time, states began planning for implementation and some also filed lawsuits challenging ACA’s constitutionality. 

The 112^th Congress that convened in January has weighed in. Last month, the US House of Representatives voted to repeal ACA and has charged several committees with working on a replacement bill. The US Senate will also vote on repealing ACA, as early as this week. The repeal vote in the Senate is not expected to pass and the President has pledged to veto repeal legislation. Both political parties do agree that certain provisions in ACA, specifically a tax-filing requirement on small businesses, should be eliminated but disagree on how to pay for the fix.

Despite Congressional votes, it seems that the U.S. Supreme Court may ultimately decide the ACA's final outcome. In response to lawsuits filed against ACA, two federal judges have already ruled it partially or wholly unconstitutional, but two others have upheld the law. These lawsuits have been appealed and it could take 1-2 years before the cases reach the Supreme Court. Many states, including some that filed lawsuits, are continuing their implementation efforts (read about Colorado’s work to date) while others are re-evaluating their efforts. In the meantime, ACA provisions continue to roll out.   

What happens next? We’ll find out together…

Impact of health reform on uninsured Coloradans

The Colorado Health Institute’s new issue briefs highlight the impact of health reform on reducing the number of uninsured Coloradans and identify groups that may not readily benefit from efforts to expand health insurance coverage, specifically “medically vulnerable” Coloradans and families with mixed insurance status. 

Strong rural representation among Hickenlooper’s senior staff

An article in today’s Pueblo Chieftain details that more than half of Governor Hickenlooper’s senior staff come from rural Colorado, including Department of Health and Public Environment Executive Director Dr. Chris Urbina from Pueblo and Health Care Policy and Finance Executive Director Sue Birch from Steamboat Springs.