Colorado Healthcare Affordability Act passed Senate Finance Committee

DENVER – 100,000 people covered. That’s how many additional Coloradans will have access to health care coverage under the Colorado Healthcare Affordability Act (HB 1293) sponsored by Senator Moe Keller (D-Wheat Ridge) and Senator Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood). The bill passed through the Senate Finance Committee today on a party-line vote of 4-3. The bill will bring in more than $1.2 billion dollars which includes $600 million in state revenue and dollar to dollar federal match.

“This is the next step in health care reform. This is a win-win for Colorado,” said Sen. Boyd. “This is a win for the more than 100,000 people who are uninsured now and will be insured under this bill. This is a win for the insured because everyone in the state will benefit because they will not be hit with the cost-shifting from the uninsured. This is a win for hospitals which will benefit from the increased Medicaid rates. And it’s a win for the state which can leverage more than $600 million in federal revenue without spending any General Fund.”

By assessing a provider fee on hospitals, the combined $1.2 billion would cover more than 100,000 currently uninsured Coloradans through Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus. The funds also would improve hospital reimbursement rates for service provided through Medicaid and the Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP). The Colorado Hospital Association supports the fee and the legislation.

“The problem is that we have more and more people losing jobs and losing health care,” said Senator Keller. “This job loss is not stopping any time soon. In fact, it’s almost growing exponentially. We have to come up with different ways to address the costs of health care for the uninsured. With this bill we will get more of our federal share of dollars back to the state.”

Introduction

Good morning. Two years ago, I stood outside this Capitol and delivered my inaugural address, sharing my belief in the sacred trust we hold with the people of Colorado.

“It is a solemn duty to serve as an elected official,” I said then. “We hold a sacred trust with the people who elect us. We must honor that trust through our hard work, and through our commitment to an open and honest relationship with the people of this state. Every day we must work to maintain the trust conferred upon us by the oaths we swear this morning.”

Serving as governor has only reinforced my belief that holding public office is indeed a sacred trust; a trust relationship not only with those who voted for us, but for all of the people of our house districts, our senate districts, and yes, of the entire state. Elections determine who has the privilege to serve, and with this privilege comes the responsibility to honor this trust relationship, which dictates that we serve for all.

Today, as we, and the rest of the country, navigate this global economic downturn, honoring that trust relationship is more important than ever before. It’s important to families who need health care, to small businesses struggling to meet payroll, and to students juggling multiple jobs to pay for college. It’s important to all those who live at the margins, who are unemployed, or underemployed, and who need a safety net until the turnaround comes, and it will come.
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This morning Representative Terrance Carroll, Speaker of the House, delivered the following remarks on the first day of the Colorado legislative session.

Majority Leader Weissmann, Minority Leader May, members of the Colorado General Assembly, and distinguished guests, welcome to the opening of the First Regular Session of the 67th General Assembly. I am honored and humbled to lead this chamber as its 34th speaker, and thank you all for your support.

I also want to thank the people of Colorado, who this November elected or reelected 65 members to the House to govern our state. The people have granted all of us a unique opportunity at a critical time in history. Of the 65 members of the Colorado House of Representatives, 17 of you took the oath of office for the first time today.

I want to congratulate each of the following new members on their election: Cindy Acree, Dennis Apuan, Randy Baumgardner, Laura Bradford, Lois Court, Cheri Gerou, Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Beth McCann, Joe Miklosi, Carole Murray, Sal Pace, Kevin Priola, Su Ryden, Sue Schafer, Scott Tipton, Ed Vigil and Mark Waller.

I also want to recognize a few special guests who have joined us in the chamber today, many of whom are former members of the House. The Honorable Rosemary Marshall who I served with for 6 wonderful years is here today, as are the Honorable Wilma and Wellington Webb, the Honorable Gloria Tanner, the Honorable Regis Groff, the Honorable Michael Hancock and the Honorable Penfield Tate II. Please welcome these dedicated public servants and wonderful friends. I also want to thank Mrs. Mary Louise Lee for her rousing versions of the Star Spangled Banner and Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not single out the service of two departing members of this chamber. Speaker Andrew Romanoff and Majority Leader Alice Madden led our caucus for five years and our chamber for four, working tirelessly to move this state forward. When they began their tenures, the state had been ravaged by one of the worst budget crises in our history.

Today, due in no small part to their efforts, 18,000 more students can afford the opportunity to go to college; 20,000 more kids have the chance to go to preschool and kindergarten; 50,000 more Colorado children will be able to get the health care they need; And every Colorado consumer has access to the clean energy technologies of tomorrow. Both parties, and indeed the entire state, benefited from Andrew Romanoff and Alice Madden’s capacity to consider various – and at time competing – viewpoints. Their thoughtful management of this chamber translated into transformative policies that have benefited all of Colorado. Please join me now in thanking them both for their years of service.

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This morning Senator Peter Groff, President of the Senate, delivered the following remarks on the first day of the Colorado legislative session.

Mister Majority Leader, Mister Minority Leader, Senate colleagues, distinguished guests, friends and my family. Let me begin by thanking the Senate for my election as president of the Colorado Senate for the 67th General Assembly.

It has been an honor to serve as your president and I am humbled that you would elect me again to lead this august body. I again pledge to work with all of you on both sides of the aisle to continue to build a better Colorado — one we can be proud to leave our children and one we can be proud to present to the nation and the world. Thank you for this tremendous responsibility and honor.

I want offer my congratulations to Speaker Terrance Carroll on his election just moments ago. It is yet another stitch in the great fabric that is the history of our great state. The historic uniqueness of what is happening in the Senate and House today is not a testament to Speaker Carroll or me but a testimonial to Colorado and her people and members of the 67th General Assembly.

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