Health

Bob Semro, the Bell's policy analyst on health care issues, recently conducted a webinar on how the Affordable Care Act will affect seniors.

This informative presentation was well-received, and we wanted to make it available to a wider audience. The webinar was prepared for the Society of Certified Senior Associates, a national organization that educates professionals who work with seniors on a wide range of issues.

By Kathleen Hallgren
My Side columnist, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

It's been said that the best anti-poverty measure is a job. But for more than a quarter of Colorado's workforce, working hard isn't enough to make ends meet.

In a recent report, we found that more than 48,000 working families in Colorado lived below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four in 2011. Another 154,085 families – 27 percent of all working families in Colorado – lived on up to twice that amount.

By Kathleen Hallgren
Guest columnist, The Daily Camera

It's been said that the best anti-poverty measure is a job. But for more than a quarter of Colorado's workforce, working hard isn't enough to make ends meet.

In a recent report, we found that more than 48,000 working families in Colorado lived below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four in 2011. Another 154,085 families – 27 percent of all working families in Colorado – lived on up to twice that amount.

Family Care Act of 2013

House Bill 13-1222

Kathleen Hallgren, Public Policy Fellow, Bell Policy Center

Testimony to the House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee

February 28, 2013

Thank you for the opportunity to address this committee.

By 2026, Colorado will add 22,388 new jobs, increase economic activity by $4.4 billion and raise average annual household earnings by $608 if the state proceeds with the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid eligibility. These predictions are from a recently released report commissioned by the Colorado Health Foundation: Medicaid Expansion: Examining the Impact on Colorado's Economy.

You couldn't turn around at the Capitol on Thursday without bumping into a policy analyst from the Bell. We testified on some of our key bills. Here are short summaries, along with links to the full testimony.

House Bill 1136 – The Job Protection and Civil Rights Enforcement Act of 2013: Colorado was one of the first states to pass a law to protect workers from harassment and discrimination on the job, but the law has gaps that prevent some classes of workers from seeking redress. This bill would close those gaps.

The number of working families living in poverty in Colorado increased by 16,000 from 2004 to 2012 – a jump of almost 50 percent, the Bell Policy Center reports in Measuring Opportunities for Working Families, released today. In addition, the portion of all Colorado working families living in poverty increased from one in 17 to one in 12 over the same period.

The number of working families living in poverty in Colorado increased by 16,000 from 2004 to 2012 – a jump of almost 50 percent, the Bell Policy Center reports in "Measuring Opportunities for Working Families." In addition, the portion of all Colorado working families living in poverty increased from one in 17 to one in 12 over the same period.

Sales Tax Revenue To Older Coloradans Cash Fund

Senate Bill 13-127

Robert Semro, Policy Analyst

Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee

Feb. 14, 2013

Health care is full of acronyms. One of them is the APCD, or All Payer Claims Database. That's a mouthful that describes a simple goal – creating a system that will allow Coloradans to compare prices and data on health care.

Compiling and sharing this data is designed, in the long run, to reduce costs and improve the quality of care.