208

Consultants release cost comparisons for health care reform proposals; P-20 Education Council puts price tags on five education reforms; Carbon tax amendment proposed for ???????08 ballot; Executive branch department budgets now posted on governor????????s website; Treasurer developing interactive state tax website

On Monday, Aug. 13, the Bell Policy Center will launch Health Blog, a forum for health care experts and the public to discuss health care reform efforts now under way in Colorado. ???Health Blog will give people all over Colorado access to the debate over how to fix our health care system,??? said Wade Buchanan, Bell Policy Center president.

New report shows what it takes to move Colorado to the middle of the pack; Conversation 2007 seeks input on P-20; Reports for 208 panel detail health spending and uninsured; CBO: Financing health care spending with income tax will be costly; Payday lending in Colorado nearly triples since 2000; More states expand Earned Income Tax Credit; Poll: Income gap is too large; Jones named to state Pay Equity Commission; Political Journal: Civic engagement a full-time job in 2007

Articles: State of teaching in Colorado and widening ???teacher gap,??? Report cards size up Colorado public schools, JBC higher ed hearing weighs increased spending, Hank Brown describes CU???s fiscal challenges, Gov.-elect Ritter announces expansion of Health Care Reform Commission, Health insurance costs rise five times as fast as wages, Colorado Health Institute releases new reports, Changes at the Bell: Adrian Miller joins Ritter administration

This special flyer distributed at the Health Care Day of Action event at the state Capitol summarizes issues Colorado residents and employers face in paying the growing costs of health care coverage. It also lists the sponsors of the event and has a cartoon depicting the health care coverage crisis.

Colorado???s governor and legislature should commit to taking the necessary actions to reform our health care system so all Coloradans have access to a core set of affordable, quality health care services. We should identify the most promising ideas for improving our health care system and put them into action.

Colorado???s next governor and legislature should commit to taking the necessary actions to reform our health care system so all Coloradans have access to a core set of affordable, quality health care services. We should identify the most promising ideas for improving our health care system and put them into action.

As amended by the House Health and Human Services Committee, SB 06-208 represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. By bringing together consumers, health insurance purchasers, providers, business leaders and state representatives, this bill takes an important step in establishing a collaborative work group to address a complex and broken health care system.