Advocates Amp Up Colorado Universal Care Plan

Advocates for universal health care in Colorado have adopted a new name and are fighting for a “purple plan in a purple state” through a ballot measure that they hope to pass in 2016. Author, journalist and documentary film maker T.R. Reid is now pushing for what he calls a “purple plan” to create universal health coverage in Colorado. Now called ColoradoCare, the group previously known as the Colorado Health Care Cooperative, has gotten approval to gather signatures for Initiative 20, a statewide measure that would provide health coverage to all Coloradans under age 65 through a citizen-run health co-op. Reid thinks the plan will be popular in Colorado because it will appeal to both conservatives, who hate the Affordable Care Act, and liberals, who believe everyone should have health coverage. The public demonstrations kick off a movement to gather the necessary 99,000 signatures to get the measure on Colorado’s ballot for November 2016. If the measure were to pass, Colorado could get a waiver from the Affordable Care Act starting in 2017, institute its own health insurance programs and provide coverage to all residents. Under the plan, people who are on Medicare, TriCare, or get their coverage through the Veterans Administration would stick with their current plans. Everyone else would pay to join a health co-op that would collect 3.5 percent of earnings from individuals and 6.5 percent from employers to fund the co-op. Instead of getting individual tax subsidies to defray the cost of health insurance, Colorado would get the equivalent in large federal grants. Low-income and disabled people who get coverage through Medicaid would also be part of the co-op with funding for them coming from the state and federal government, Reid said.

Source/more: Health News Colorado David Wingate is an elder law attorney who practices in Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland. David Wingate’s practice includes wills, trusts, power of attorneys, livening wills, Medicaid and asset protection.