Colorado Pushes for Universal Health Care That’s Governed by the Peopl

[skyward]

Colorado Pushes for Universal Health Care That’s Governed by the People

by opting out of Obamacare and replacing it with ColoradoCare, a universal health care system governed by those who rely on it. Proponents presented far more than the requisite 99,000 signatures required to put the initiative on the 2016 ballot in Denver today, though they must be verified in the coming weeks.

ColoradoCare proposes a model that covers every Colorado resident. A tax on income and employers would replace insurance premiums, but the revenue wouldn't be subject to the whims of legislators; instead, it would go directly to a fund overseen by trustees whom the recipients choose...

Could it work or, will it happen?

 

[gorgik9]

If I understand your post correctly, the citizens of Colorado seems to be pushing for a reasonable healthcare system close to the kind of system we've had in the Scandinavian countries for many, many decades.

And why some would say that it couldn't work is just unfathomable to me...

Dear Americans, don't be so provincial...

 

[W!nston]

Obamacare isn't universal healthcare. Instead of giving relief to the people it has made things worse. My partner's employer based insurance plan tripled his monthly premiums while increasing his deductible from $500/ year to $3000/year and his co-pays for Dr visits, Emergency Room visits, Urgent Care visits and prescriptions went from $5/visit to $50/visit and $500/visit for ER, his prescription copay went from $5, $10 & $25 to $20, $30 & $50. He is not allowed to opt out of his employer insurance. It is mandatory by law. Insurance companies were given over a year to change all existing policies from the lower costs to higher costs for the consumer before Obamacare went into effect. It is a monopoly.

If you are unemployed or self-employed the cost of Obamacare is about $500/month plus hefty deductibles and co-pays.

You are better off being unemployed and homeless so you can get Medicaid - or at least for now until they close that loop hole too.

Colorado will have a tough time trying to get past the Obamacare monopoly but I hope it works. I'll move back to Colorado like I've been threatening to do since they legalized a certain recreational activity

 

[gb2000ie]

Colorado will have a tough time trying to get past the Obamacare monopoly but I hope it works.

They shouldn't - there is an explicit clause in the Affordable Care Act that says that if a state offers a better alternative they are exempt. The ACA is a base-line, not a cieling.

B.

 

[W!nston]

Just exactly WHO do you think will decide if the state's offer is a 'better alternative'?

 

[gb2000ie]

Just exactly WHO do you think will decide if the state's offer is a 'better alternative'?

It's not so much WHO as WHAT - the law defines criteria an alternative must meet. I'm fairly sure what is being described here - true universal coverage, will easily meet the requirements.

Remember, the reason the clause exists is that the Democrats wanted Single Payer, but they knew they could never get it nation-wide, so they added language to the bill to ensure it could not be used (abused even) to hold a more progressive state back from making better reforms.

B.

 

[W!nston]

As I said, I hope it works and Colorado leads the way again. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[xenos]

I'm with Sniffit on this. I hope it works and provides a model for other states to follow. I'll follow this story with interest.

 

[hammervice]

thanks for info