The organizers of ColoradoCare, a plan that would create a single-payer health care insurance program for Coloradans, have done an admirable job in shaping what could almost be a workable initiative. But it has shortcomings, and an undertaking as large as this should not be in the state’s constitution.
Here is some of what we like about ColoradoCare: While employers would contribute 6.66 percent of an employee’s paycheck, and an employee 3.33 percent, the employer would have no further involvement. An employee would be responsible for his own insurance choices, and the coverage would be portable. The issue of number of hours worked to qualify for insurance (28, 32, is that a way to make business decisions?) would no longer be a factor.
For the individual, whether employed or not, deductibles would be eliminated. So would most co-pays. Gone also would be the baffling question of whether a provider is in-network or out-of-network.
Would the taxes needed for ColoradoCare be extensive? Absolutely, over $30 billion, but that is the reality of delivering today’s medical care in this country. A 10 percent tax on unearned income – income which is not wages – is realistic. That is what it would require.
ColoradoCare’s governing board would be made up of Coloradans, thus they would be within reach. Those individuals certainly would be more recognizable and accessible than board members for a national plan. That is a big plus for a state plan.
Are Colorado’s 5.5 million residents sufficient to support an insurance plan? That is one of the significant questions. Another question, more minor, is what the cost will be to provide coverage when an individual is traveling out of state.
The Affordable Care Act has added millions to the list of those with insurance, but it is doing little to hold down provider costs. Deductibles are going up, and premiums are rising, often severely. A more successful plan, a single-payer plan, is in the future and it may share many of the components of ColoradoCare.
But that is too big a step for the country right now. Too many people continue to believe that the answer to insurance coverage and provider costs lies with competitive pricing, more knowledgeable patients and a willingness to make healthful lifestyle decisions. Those qualities only go so far.
How to insure Coloradans so that they receive the health care they require is much too large an undertaking to put into the state’s constitution. That eventual plan, even if it is not perfect, which it will not be, will have to involve the state Legislature, health care professionals and plenty of listening sessions around the state. It will be a plan that will not be perfect, and will require experimentation and tuning. ColoradoCare, in the constitution, will not make that possible.
Vote “no” on ColoradoCare – Amendment 69. But think through its components, applying them to your situation, and be prepared to create a plan that will be able to be shaped as needed.