Date: 08/31/2009
Final
Statewide efforts for Health Care Reform
HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE
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11:09 AM -- Health Care Reform - Health Advocates Alliance
Kelly Shanahan, Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, described the Health Advocates Alliance (HAA) and distributed a handout regarding the organization (Attachment B). She stated that the HAA is a coalition of consumers, providers, and health care advocates committed to health care for all that is affordable, sustainable, timely, safe, equitable, effective, efficient, and patient-centric. She discussed the alliance's Road to Health Care Reform strategy and asked the committee to support these strategies.
11:14 AM
Dr. Bruce Madison, Colorado Medical Society, discussed the problems with the current health care system. He explained that the current employer-based system was not planned or designed.
11:19 AM
Kelly Shanahan stated that there are a number of things that the state can do to improve the health care system. She described the sources of health care coverage for Coloradoans. She described the spheres of influence for the Colorado General Assembly.
11:23 AM
Kelli Fritts, AARP, described previous health care reform efforts in Colorado. She described previous legislation that affected the regulation of health insurance in Colorado and discussed the principles that HAA supports for health care reform.
11:29 AM
Kelly Shanahan stated HAA's supports public safety net programs, including Medicaid. Dr. Madison described Accountable Care Organizations. He described how costs have increased in the health care arena in recent years, and identified some of the cost drivers in the health care system, including fee-for-service payments. He described Rocky Mountain Health Plans, an insurance company which operates on the Western Slope, and which he described as an Accountable Care Organization. He referred to a copy of an article in the New Yorker regarding health care costs where Rocky Mountain Health Plan was mentioned (Attachment C).
11:37 AM
Kelly Shanahan stated she supports a system that includes all individuals and broadly pools risk. She also encouraged care coordination, and giving reforms the time to work. She listed the framework questions members can ask themselves when considering health care reform legislation, including Does it increase access? Does it protect vulnerable populations? Does it improve quality and value?