Health

House Bill 12-1052

Testimony to the House Economic and Business Development CommitteeRobert Semro, policy analyst, the Bell Policy Center
Feb. 2, 2012

My name is Robert Semro, and I am a policy analyst with the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit research and policy organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

Senate Bill 12-23

Testimony to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Robert Semro, policy analyst, the Bell Policy Center
Feb. 2, 2012

My name is Robert Semro, and I am a policy analyst with the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

The main goal of the Affordable Care Act is to have more Americans covered by health insurance. The mechanism for achieving that goal is the "individual mandate" – the requirement that most Americans have health insurance.

The simple reason behind the mandate is that in order for the insurance market to offer guaranteed coverage and be efficient and cost-effective, the maximum number of people must participate.

Gov. John Hickenlooper delivered his second State of the State address to the Colorado General Assembly today, but we didn't get the usual laundry list of programs and initiatives. Instead, we heard an aspirational vision for the kind of state Colorado can be and a call for greater partnership and collaboration among political parties and throughout the state.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the lion's share of each insurance premium dollar must be spent on health care.

That notion might seem obvious, but previously there was no national standard for what is termed the "medical loss ratio," or MLR. The ratio measures the split between health care spending and administrative and other costs. (Incidentally, MLR is an old insurance term that comes from the accounting departments, where spending on medical care was considered a loss deducted from income.)

By Amy Gillentine
The Colorado Springs Business Journal

The Colorado Trust today launched a new section of its website dedicated to tracking public policy issues that could affect the health and well-being of Coloradans.

The new section of the site, at www.coloradotrust.org/healthpolicy, includes information about federal, state and local laws, regulations, bills, judicial decisions and political events.

By Bob Semro

‘Get Covered Colorado' website explains health benefit marketplace

The Colorado Health Benefits Exchange won't be up and running until October 2013, but Colorado residents can start learning about it right now at www.getcoveredco.org.

The Colorado Health Benefit Exchange won't be up and running until October 2013, but Colorado residents can start learning about it right now. The exchange has a new website – www.getcoveredco.org.

(Also published as guest commentary in the Summit Daily News and posted by  healthinsuranceheadlines.com, topix.com, health

By Gena Akers
Valley Voices (San Luis Valley Health.org)

The math is simple. Our country has a budget deficit because we spend more than we have. The same applies personally: you can't spend your problems away with credit cards. You have to be accountable to yourself.

Now, we need to be accountable to our nation so our nation doesn't fail us.

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