Gov. Bill Ritter today signed House Bill 1008, sponsored by Reps. Sue Schafer and Beth McCann and Sens. Morgan Carroll and Gail Schwartz, to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against women when setting health insurance rates.

“Today’s legislation eliminates the type of gender discrimination practiced by insurance companies in setting rates for women – rates which can be up to 59 percent higher than rates for men,” Gov. Ritter said. “This bill ensures access to care and coverage for all at an equitable price and eliminates the financial burden that gender rating puts on women.”

HB 1008 passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Ritter during the fourth annual Health Care Day of Action at the Capitol.

“Gender should not be considered a preexisting condition,” Sen. Schwartz said. “Ensuring that all Coloradans have equal access to health care is vital to the well-being of our state. Affordable health care for women helps care for Colorado’s children and families.”

“As the country looks to D.C. for federal health care reform, Colorado can now thank the legislature for health care equality,” Sen. Carroll said. “With the signing of this bill into law, legislators are standing up for what is just in health care: women and men stand on level ground in Colorado today.”

“I am very pleased that Colorado has eliminated unfair health insurance premiums on women,” Rep. Schafer said. “Now women and men of the same age will pay the same cost for the same coverage in individual private insurance plans.”

“I am thrilled that we were able to get this bill passed,” Rep. McCann said. “When I first graduated from law school we started the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and one of the first issues we tackled was gender discrimination in health insurance. It is ironic that many years later, I am still working on this issue. I am honored to be in a position now to co-sponsor a bill that is a great step forward for women in Colorado who are in the individual health care market.”

The new law no longer allows gender rating in Colorado’s individual insurance market. More than 130,000 Colorado women aged 19-64 had individual insurance in 2006-07, and 90 percent of the plans offered in Colorado utilized gender rating in the individual insurance market.

This practice is currently prohibited in the small group market and the new law will bring equity to the individual market. HB 1008 will make health insurance more affordable and accessible for women purchasing insurance in the individual market.

A new study released today ranks Colorado fourth in the nation for Recovery Act spending transparency. The ranking was released in a new national study, called “Show Us the Stimulus (Again),” analyzes how well states are reporting Recovery Act spending on their website. The study was conducted by the nonprofit research center Good Jobs First.

“Over the last year, we have worked hard to fulfill my commitment of making Recovery Act spending in Colorado as transparent, open and accountable as possible to the people of Colorado,” Gov. Ritter said. “Through public outreach, aggressive oversight and extensive reports on www.colorado.gov/recovery, we are ensuring that Colorado taxpayers know how their funds are being spent. I am proud that our efforts are being recognized nationally.”

The report scored state Recovery Act websites according to their ability to show various types of spending information, including contracts awarded, distribution of spending by county or town, and details of specific projects. On a scale of 0 to 100, Colorado scored 72. The average score was 44. Maryland topped the list. The report authors are part of a national coalition called States for a Transparent and Accountable Recovery (STAR coalition).

This report updates a similar study released in July 2009 that also ranked Colorado near the top of states.

“Colorado’s Recovery Act website is sophisticated, comprehensive, and easily navigable,” the report said. “The state uses mapping and narrative information effectively to disclose information about spending, project progress, and job creation and retention. Data can be retrieved by drilling down through maps or by accessing provided reports. Information appears to be timely and frequently updated.”

The website is maintained by the Governor’s Economic Recovery Team and includes a map that shows Recovery Act projects and lists of contractors and reports. The website is updated daily and the staff is working on adding new features in coming months.

To view the study, go to http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/pdf/ARRAwebreportjan2010.pdf

At least $6.7 billion in Recovery Act funding is expected to come to Colorado through more than 100 different programs, including tax cuts for 1.8 million families, increased safety net benefits and infrastructure projects that are creating or saving thousands of jobs.

For more information about the Recovery Act in Colorado, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery.