It is with great sadness that I write about two medical issues, Proposition 106 (Medical Aid in Dying) and Amendment 69 (ColoradoCare). Both of these are about giving Coloradans the freedom to obtain the medical care that best serves their needs.
Unfortunately, our current health care system is a business based on profit. It is the most expensive by far in the developed world, and at or near the bottom on quality measures such as infant mortality. What causes my great sadness is the fact that we, the people, are misled by special interests trying to preserve their control (in the case of 106) or their profits (in the case of 69).
The Catholic archdiocese and Focus on the Family are spending millions on TV ads to mislead us about Proposition 106, never revealing their desire to impose their religious opposition on the rest of us or recognizing that medical aid in dying is an option.
In the case of Amendment 69, there are obvious and powerful opponents including the insurance companies, Big Pharma, and the hospitals. Yes, most hospitals are non-profit; according to UMass Amherst economist Gerald Friedman, who is an avid supporter of ColoradoCare, “non-profit means no taxes.” The opponents of Amendment 69 call themselves “Coloradans for Coloradans” but they are neither. Their biggest contributor, at $1 million, is Anthem insurance company.
The Denver office of Centura Health contributed $250,000 (secretary of state website). Under ColoradoCare, an estimated 80 percent of Coloradans will pay less for their care. The wealthier Medicare population will pay 10 percent tax (otherwise paid by employers/employees) on their taxable income and there are no drug costs, co pays, or need for supplemental insurance.
The Durango Herald editorial opposing 69 wrote that “an employee would be responsible for his own insurance choices,” betraying the deep misunderstanding that there will even be private insurance companies. The $30 billion which “is the reality of delivering today’s medical care in this country” is not a reality in the rest of the developed world and does not have to be a reality here.
Lauri Costello, M.D.
Durango